


When Worlds Collide

by Shuichi77



Category: Loveless, Saiyuki
Genre: Angst, Comedy, Crossover, F/F, Fights, M/M, Romance, Yaoi, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-07
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-03 21:25:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1073225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shuichi77/pseuds/Shuichi77
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ritsuka's life finally seems be normal: He has started in middle school, has great friends and he and Soubi have finally been able to embrace their relationship. But this normality is at risk of being shattered once again with the arrival of some very strange newcomers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Odd Encounter

Ritsuka slumped back into his desk and stared blankly into his textbook as he was waited patiently for the dismissal bell to ring. As usual, he had already finished all of the day's work and was quickly slipping into mind numbing boredom. After a few minutes the bell finally rang and the students began filtering through the doorway with Ritsuka being the last to leave, as he was every day. He then began walking down the hallway in his usual manner until the bubbly pink haired girl caught up to him and began to follow close behind him. The duo walked in a comfortable silence as they did almost every day; everything seemed to be the way it always was, but still, Ritsuka couldn't seem to shake an odd feeling like something was slightly off. He was quick to shrug this feeling however and the duo made their way through the front door of the school building and into the large courtyard. Once outside, Ritsuka caught a glimpse of something reflecting sunlight out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over his shoulder toward the gates of the courtyard and saw a very strange pair of people standing just outside the gate, looking very lost and very out of place. Upon taking another good look, even from the distance, Ritsuka got a very bad feeling from the looks of these two strangers. The small boy then began to grow slightly concerned and calmly glanced back to the pink haired girl at his side.

"Yuiko." The sound of Ritsuka's stern tone quickly snapped the girl away from the conversation she was having with one of their other classmates.

"Yes Ritsuka-kun?"

"Go find Yayoi and have him walk you home now." The taller girl laid down her pink fur covered ears down in a mixture of confusion and sadness before replying.

"Is something the matter Ritsuka-kun?"

"Everything is fine. I just have something I need to look into ok? Just go home and I'll call you later." This caused the girl to perk up once again before giving a large smile and running off toward the other boy that was standing across the courtyard.

After making sure that Yuiko was safely walking home with Yayoi, Ritsuka turned and began cautiously making his way toward the school yard gate to further investigate the strange people standing outside it. He stopped just short of the gate to take a better look at the duo and as he looked closer he could tell that these people were different somehow and they definitely didn't look like they were from anywhere around town. Ritsuka was quick to notice that the taller of the two was a man that looked to be in his twenties, but he looked very odd. He stood, or more accurately leaned, against a wall on the far left of the courtyard wall with his hands berried in his pockets and his head looking around in all directions. His clothes were a very odd style, nothing he had seen before; they were tattered and torn and he didn't have cat ears or a tail, so Ritsuka assumed this man was an adult, although his ears were strange, they were long and came to a point and the top. Ritsuka then saw the glimmer of reflecting sunlight once more and finally found that the source of the glare was from this man's large dangling ear rings that hung down past his chin. This sight in and of itself was enough to make Ritsuka weary but the cold unfeeling nature of this man's expression was what really gave Ritsuka chills down his spine.

Ritsuka then moved his attention to the other person standing in front of the man; he could see that this person appeared to be a younger girl. She was dressed very similar to the man in front of her, except that her clothes were not as torn as his but still pretty ratty. Her ears were also similar to his, only a little bit shorter and no piercings. Her face however, was warm and happy, a little lost, but happy and it was adorned with slightly curly orange locks. She was smiling for what seemed like, no reason at all. But what struck Ritsuka as odd, was that this girl also had no cat ears or tail. She looked Ritsuka's age, or even younger maybe. Ritsuka couldn't imagine how she lost her ears so young. These two were definitely very, very strange.

After observing these strange new comers from a far for a few minutes, Ritsuka finally decided that they could be trouble and he felt the urge to go and investigate even further but it ten occurred to him that he was all alone now. It figured it best to leave the situation alone for the time being until he could get Soubi to come along with him, just in case the strangers turned out to be dangerous. With this new plan in mind, Ritsuka took a deep breath before leaving his hiding spot against the wall and making his way past the duo and towards home. Just as he passed by them however, he saw something move out of the corner of his eye, the flash of movement promptly followed by a sharp pain on the top of his head. The sudden pain caused him to gasp slightly and whip his head around to find that the small girl he was just observing was tugging, not so gently, on one of his furry ears. Ritsuka then turned his whole body around violently to face the girl, causing her release her grip on his ear.

"Ow! That hurts damn it!" Ritsuka yelled as he rubbed the now very sore spot on the top of his head. The orange haired girl didn't even flinch however, but instead simply gave a big grin as she attempted to grab onto one of Ritsuka's ears once again.

"Hey! You got kitty cat ears! How come?!" The girl's voice was very bubbly and playful, reminding Ritsuka far too much of Yuiko. None the less, Ritsuka again attempted to pull away from her but she was able to grab ahold of one of his ears once more much to his displeasure.

"Because I'm only sixteen! I haven't done anything yet. Why else would you think? And could you stop! That hurts!" Ritsuka then yanked away from the girl and turned back to see that she now had her head cocked to the side with an inquisitive expression on her face. She then placed both hand on her hips before turning to her taller counterpart.

"You hear that Onii-chan?" The taller man simply nodded and gave a small sound in reply.

"Mmhmm."

"We really ended up in a weird place huh Kou-chan?"

"Yes. I suppose we did." The man then finally lifted his head slightly as he responded to fully take in the sight of the smaller cat eared boy in front of him.

Ritsuka was becoming more and more curious and confused by the second. It wasn't long however before his curiosity outweighed his initial feeling of caution and he finally decided that it was worth a shot to try and figure out a little more about these strange newcomers.

"So, who are you guys anyway?" Ritsuka's tone had now softened slightly as he rubbed his sore head and fixed his ruffled hair. His question went unanswered for a short moment as the girl looked up to the taller man, as if asking permission to speak, until he nodded silently. Once approval was given, the girl turned to Ritsuka with a wide grin.

"My name is Lirin and this is my brother Ko-" The girls words were suddenly cut off by the man's cold and calm tone.

"I'm Kougaiji." Lirin then cut back in with a smile.

"And who are you?" The girl asked as she gently poked at Ritsuka's ears causing them to twitch at each touch, only making the girl giggle more and more.

"I'm Ritsuka…and I'd very much appreciate it if you stopped doing that already." Ritsuka's tone was no longer annoyed but rather complacent.

"Awww! What a cute little name, for a cute little kitty!" Lirin squealed and she hopped up and down with a smile causing Ritsuka's cheeks to flush red with anger.

"I'm not a kitty! Just because I have ears and a tail doesn't mean I'm an actual cat!" Lirin then did her best to calm herself down but couldn't help to giggle once more before leaning over to whisper to her brother.

"He sure is an angry little kitty." Luckily Ritsuka didn't hear this comment and simply continued speaking.

"And besides, I don't plan on having them much longer!" Once he had realized what he had just said, Ritsuka was relieved to see that both strangers had very confused expressions on their faces, obviously not knowing what he was talking about.

"Whatever silly kitty cat" Lirin said patting his head once more. Ritsuka then did his best to brush off the girl's condescending remarks and was about to address her once more but was stopped before he cold even speak as something popped into his mind.

"Oh no! I almost forgot! I have to get home!" And without even a word, Ritsuka pushed past his two new acquaintances.

With the strange duo now far behind him, Ritsuka let out a lng sigh of relief to be away from them, especially the orange haired girl. As he continued his walk home, Ritsuka did his best to put the odd encounter far from his mind. He knew he had to keep a clear mind and stay relaxed for the special plans that he had for the evening.

TBC

 


	2. Painful Memories

Ritsuka couldn't have been more relieved when he finally made it to the moderately sized home that he now shared with the tall blonde. He was happy to make his way up to the door and make his way inside.

"Soubi? I'm home! You here?" Ritsuka called as he set his things inside and shut the door.

Upon hearing no reply, Ritsuka searched all around the spacious apartment for his Sentouki. He searched through all the rooms until he finally came across a note on the kitchen counter that read.

Went to the store.

Be back soon.

Love Soubi .

Upon reading the note, Ritsuka gave a small sigh and shrug before making his way into the large living room that was cluttered with boxes and bags, all properly labeled by their contents. He looked at all the boxes stacked atop each other and quickly became lost in his thoughts. It had been about two months since he had moved into Soubi's apartment and he still hadn't unpacked all of his things. He didn't really have a decent reason as to why he was putting it off so long and after looking at the mess once more, he finally decided that he ran out of excuses and he might as well finish unpacking the last of the boxes now. He made his way over to the first box in sight, marked 'Misc.', and leaned down to open it. He examined its contents, and on the very top of the pile of objects was a picture of him and his mother. It was an old picture, from when he was about ten or eleven. Even though this picture was from a time he couldn't remember, the sight still brought forth strong emotions and memories in the small boy. He picked up the picture and stared at it for a moment before becoming lost in the memory of the last time he saw his mother. The memory came flooding back in great detail: He was sitting at her bedside, holding her hand gently in his. The room was calm silent until her weak voice called out him. She told him that she didn't want to leave until she said goodbye to "her Ritsuka". She told him how much she loved him and how much she missed him. He could never forget that feeling of being only a ghost to her and the pain of her final moments, calling out to a Ritsuka that would never come. Ritsuka had become so lost in his memories that he didn't notice the silent tears running down his cheeks. He then let the memory fade away the same way that he had happened: with a few faint fading breaths.

As Ritsuka became aware of the tears he was shedding, his sadness was consumed by rage as other memories flooded back to him. He remembered all the horrible things his mother had said and done to him. He then silently wiped the tears from his eyes and slowly got up from his place on the floor and made his way into the kitchen and took one last look at the photo before throwing it firmly into the trash.

Ritsuka then went back to his place in the living room and took a deep breath of relief. He was glad she was gone. After all, if she hadn't died then he would have never moved in with Soubi. And Ritsuka actually, really loved living with Soubi. Soubi always cleaned, and cooked for him, anything Ritsuka could ever want or need, Soubi would give to him. And yet, despite everything Soubi did for him, Ritsuka could never say those three little words that Soubi longed to hear from his partner's lips. Ritsuka felt so horrible whenever Soubi told him that he loved him. Ritsuka always tried so hard to say it back but he never could. He hadn't been able to say it since…the last time he said it to Seimei.

Ritsuka had just finished shelving the last of his books form the boxes when Soubi walked in the front door with grocery bags in his arms. Upon seeing the blonde struggle slightly with all the bags, Ritsuka quickly leapt to his feet to meet him.

"Oh I'll help you Soubi"

"Thank you Ritsuka" Soubi replied to his young lover.

Ritsuka grabbed a few of the bags from Soubi's arms and followed him into the kitchen. As soon as Ritsuka set the bags down on the counter he began to take out the items and put them away where they belonged. While Ritsuka was going through the bags he noticed that Soubi had bought some rather pricey and interesting foods, confusing him slightly.

"Hey Soubi. What's with all the expensive food?" Ritsuka asked form across the Kitchen.

"Don't worry Ritsuka, you will find out soon enough," Soubi said with a smirk on his face.

Ritsuka just gave Soubi a questioning look and went back to placing all the objects in their appropriate places. As soon as all of the groceries were put away Soubi tied on an apron and began removing pots and pans from the cabinets.

"Ritsuka, please go into the living room. I don't want you to get in the way." Soubi said without even turning to face the small boy.

"Get in the way of what Soubi?" Ritsuka questioned.

"Patience, my love, patience" Soubi said rather seductively to his companion.

Blushing wildly Ritsuka went into the living room and plopped down on the soft couch. Ritsuka was trying desperately to figure out why Soubi was acting so weird. Then Ritsuka glanced over at the calendar hanging on the wall, and he realized what day it was. Then he figured it out. Today was their "anniversary". It had been 4 years today since he had met, and secretly fallen in love with Soubi. Ritsuka then quickly grew nervous as he thought of what the blonde could possibly be up to.

 TBC


	3. Rescue

"Ritsuka! Diner is ready!" The sultry sound of the blonde's voice calling from the kitchen was enough to quickly snap Ritsuka from the video game that he was happily playing in the living room of the apartment that they shared together. Upon hearing his Sentouki call, Ritsuka was quick to put down his controller and called back while turning off the game system.

"Coming!" Ritsuka then put away his game system neatly before standing to his feet, giving a small stretch as he did, and made his way toward the kitchen and toward a rather intoxicating smell. As soon as Ritsuka turned the corner into the moderately sized kitchen, his heart almost skipped a beat when he saw the kitchen table covered in what must have been a dozen different steaming dishes and the tall blonde standing beside it with a warm smile.

"Happy anniversary Ritsuka." Soubi's tone was just as warm as his smile and the sight and sound was enough to make Ritsuka's heart melt and a bright blush cross his cheeks.

"S-Soubi…this is too much…you shouldn't have." This comment caused Soubi to saunter ever so elegantly over to where Ritsuka was standing, mouth agape, and take the smaller boys hand gently in his own before leading his Sacrifice over to the kitchen table.

"A home cooked meal is the absolute least I could do for you today. I made all of your favorite things." Soubi then pulled out the chair at the head of the table and gestured for the smaller boy to sit down with a smile. Ritsuka was quick to sit down, being drawn in by the look and smell of all the dishes placed perfectly at the table.

"Thank you Soubi. This is so amazing."

"Not as amazing as you." This small comment caused Ritsuka's cheeks to grow even brighter and it was all he could do not to stammer through his words with a ridiculously large grin.

"Stop it; you're making my face hot." This earned him a small chuckle from the blonde as he found his way to the chair at the opposite end of the table and sat down.

"I'm sorry. I just want to make sure that this day is as perfect for you as it is for me." Ritsuka then grabbed one of the steaming plates and pulled it closer to himself and took a large bite before replying with a satisfied grin.

"Perfect for you? But I haven't even gotten you a gift yet."

"You are all I need Ritsuka. Every day that I get to wake up next to you is perfect in my eyes." This again made Ritsuka blush wildly at the sweet things his Sentouki was saying; no one in his entire life had ever treated him so well before and he was still trying to fully adjust to it. It then took all of Ritsuka's will power to finally bring forth the words that he had avoided for so long.

"I…I love you Soubi…" These words pierced through Soubi's heart like an arrow and he had to fight back the small tear threatening to run down his cheek; he would never let Ritsuka see him in such a state.

"I love you Ritsuka." Ritsuka then picked his fork back up and began to fully indulge in the buffet before him.

"You should eat too Soubi. I can't eat all of this by myself you know."

"As you wish." The blonde then gladly picked up a pair of chopsticks and took a large bite from the bowl of ramen in front of him. Ritsuka slyly watched on in awe at how the blonde could look so elegant no matter what he was doing.

The air in their humble home remained warm and full of joy as the two enjoyed their meal accompanied by small talk and happy reflections of their times together. It wasn't long at all before the apartment was filled with the sounds of laughter and groans of satisfaction. Roughly an hour had passed before they were both simply too full to consume another bite and were now simply relaxing an enjoying every moment of their night. This bliss was suddenly interrupted however by the sound of Soubi's cell phone ringing from the kitchen counter a few feet away. The blonde let out a short groan before getting up and flipping open his small cell phone, Ritsuka watching on with a happy smile the entire time.

"Hello?"

" _Soubi! Where the hell are you?!"_

"Kio…this isn't a good time. I'm busy with Ritsuka right now."

" _No no no no! I don't want to hear about your antics with your underage play thing."_

"I've told you not to refer to Ritsuka like that Kio. Now, what do you want? I really am busy."

" _Well I'm sorry to interrupt your escapades but did you forget that we have a project due tomorrow morning? A project, might I remind you, that we haven't even started!"_

"Shit…I completely forgot."

" _Oh that's just great Soubi! You better get your ass over here and help me! I'm not doing another project by myself just so you can babysit."_

"Alright alright; I'll be over in just a bit."

" _Good. I'll see you soon."_

"Alright. Bye."

" _See ya."_

*click*

Ritsuka watched on with a quickly diminishing smile as Soubi closed his phone with a long sigh as he ran a large hand through his blonde locks in frustration.

"I'm sorry Ritsuka…I have to go over to Kio's for a while. I forgot that we have a project due tomorrow." Ritsuka then let out a small sigh of disappointment before putting on a small smile to reply to his partner.

"It's ok Soubi, I understand. You always tell me how important school is for me so it should equally important for you." Soubi couldn't help but to crack a large smile at this and made his way over to where the smaller boy was seated and placed a tender kiss on his forehead.

"You really have grown Ritsuka." This made Ritsuka giggle slightly. This nurturing and slightly parental side of Soubi always made him smile.

"I know I know; now get going. Kio always gets way too cranky when you keep him waiting. I'll clean up and I'll be waiting for you when you get home." Soubi then took advantage of the boy that was now looking up at him and caught his lips in a passionate kiss.

"I love you Ritsuka and I'll see you when I get home."

"I love you too."

With that, the tall blonde made his way quickly out of the front door with his messenger bag hanging perfectly off his hip. Once Soubi was out of sight Ritsuka let out a long sigh before standing from the table and taking plates two by two to the sink. Once he had cleared the table, he turned on the hot water and began washing dishes while his mind wandered freely to thoughts of his Sentouki and all the years that they had spent together. It was only a half hour or so before all the dishes were down and Ritsuka was washing his hands. After everything was clean, Ritsuka let out a long sigh before leaning against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed. After a few minutes of deep thought, Ritsuka became restless and consumed with thoughts of what he should do for Soubi for their anniversary. Finally after some pacing about, Ritsuka decided that he would go for a walk to try and clear his head. He quickly grabbed his light blue jacket from the rack by the door before exiting the apartment with is hands tucked neatly into his pockets. As soon as he was outside, Ritsuka gazed up to glimpse at the stars that filled the night sky and let out a long breath that was just barely visible in the chilly night air. Once adjusted to the cool night air, Ritsuka began his leisurely walk toward the small park that was only a half mile or so from their apartment. Ritsuka was always fond of the park; it was the very same park that Soubi had taken him to all those years ago when they had first met, and it was always a good place for him to clear his head. It was only ten minutes or so before Ritsuka was rounding the corner that led him to the small park and upon seeing the dimly lit picnic tables that dotted the area he quickly began to feel his head and heart clear. He then made his way toward one of the small picnic tables but was suddenly stopped by the sound of unfamiliar voice.

"Hey kid!" Ritsuka quickly whipped around to find that the course of the voice was a tall slender man that he had never seen before, accompanied by another shorter man that he also couldn't recognize.

"Umm…are you talking to me?"

"Who else would I be talking to? You see anybody else around?" The two strangers were quickly approaching Ritsuka as they spoke and he was already slyly looking around for an escape route, but could only back up against a picnic table.

"N-no…What do you want?" The strangers now had Ritsuka firmly backed up against the table and were only a few feet in front of him and closing in.

"Let's start with all the cash you have." Ritsuka's panic quickly began to set in upon hearing this threat and he did his best to try and stay calm but it was no use.

"I-I don't have any money…" The taller man, now being face to face with Ritsuka, then put on a sinister smirk as he placed an arm around the small of Ritsuka's back while using his hand to stroke one of Ritsuka's soft ears.

"Well I can think of something else you could give us instead…" This sent Ritsuka into a complete panic and he began to thrash wildly in an attempt to break free of his captures grip.

"N-no! L-leave me alone!" Despite his best efforts, Ritsuka was only pulled closer to the stranger that he was struggling against. During the struggle, the shorter man took advantage of the situation and took ahold of Ritsuka's thrashing legs, pinning the defenseless boy down onto the picnic table.

"Hold still brat!" Ritsuka's mind was racing with fears of what was about to happen and he could then only muster the only words that could come to mind in this desperate situation.

"Soubi! Help me!" This outburst caused his attackers to laugh at his fruitless calls for help.

"No one is around to hear you kid, now just quit fighting. You're making this harder than it needs to be." Ritsuka then closed his eyes tight, in an attempt to block out this horrible situation, as tears began to stream down his face.

"No! S-Soubi!" Ritsuka's cries were then answered by a deep voice from the darkness of the tree line.

"Hey! What do you two think you are doing? Leave the kid alone." The strangers were slightly taken aback by the sudden interruption and both turned their heads to look toward the direction of the voice, making sure to keep Ritsuka in their grasp as they did.

"Who the hell are you?! Mind your own business!"

"Well I think I've just made this my business. Now…let the kid go. I won't ask again."

Much to Ritsuka's surprise, this comment caused the two men to release him from their grip and allowed him to fall to his knees on the damp grass. He then opened his eyes and was even more shocked to see who exactly it was that had come to his rescue. His eyes grew wide when they set sights on the tall dark haired man in tattered clothes that he had encountered earlier that day outside of his school building.

"Mr. Kougaiji…?"

Ritsuka could then only watch on in complete shock and confusion at the scene unfolding before him. The two muggers began to approach the intruding figure that was now walking closer to meet them with arms crossed in an annoyed manner. Once the two opposing forces were only a few feet from each other, the shorter of the two muggers finally spoke out toward the pointy eared man.

"Hey buddy! We saw the kid first so why don't you just get lost before you get hurt." This only earned him a condescending scoff from the strange looking man.

"Well technically I saw him first but I won't hold that against you seeing as you probably didn't know that. So why don't you two buzz off and we won't have any problems." This snide comment only angered the muggers and the taller of the two slipped open a relatively good sized knife and began to wave it in Kougaiji's direction.

"So you want a fight then do you punk? Well we are more than happy to give you one!" The taller man then suddenly launched forward toward Kougaiji with his blade extended out in front of him. Kougaiji however, didn't move a muscle and allowed the man to land a rather large cut across his cheek, much to the man's surprise.

"W-what the hell?! You really have a death wish!" The mugger was frozen in confusion but was quickly snapped out of it by the sound of a large snap quickly followed by an incredible pain in his arm that had been snapped in two in the blink of an eye by the dark skinned demon that he had just foolishly assaulted.

"You really shouldn't have done that…" The frightened mugger, now in shock from the pain of his broken arm, gazed up into angry violet eyes and soon realized that escape had been mad impossible by the man's strong grip on his broken limb.

"W-what the hell are you…." Kougaiji then pulled up violently on the man's arm to bring him to be eye level with him before speaking.

"You're worst nightmare." The crimson haired demon then landed a swift blow right into the man's gut before dropping him to the ground where he began to cough up large amounts of blood. He then turned his angry gaze the man's shaking counterpart and spoke to him in an eerie voice. "If you want to live, I suggest you take your friend and get the hell out of here." The shorter man gave a feverish nod before rushing over to pick his friend up off the ground and limping away with him into the distance.

Ritsuka was in complete awe at the scene that he had just witnessed, so much so that he almost didn't notice that Kougaiji was now calmly walking over to where he was crumpled on the ground. This sight caused Ritsuka to begin to panic once more, not knowing whether or not he better off now or before. Once Kougaiji was standing right above him, Ritsuka flinched away from the man in fear until a slightly gruff yet soft voice rang through his ears.

"Hey kid, it's ok, I'm not going to hurt you and those creeps are gone." Ritsuka then timidly opened his eyes to see that the olive skinned man was extending a large and delicate hand to him. After only a few seconds of thought, Ritsuka clasped onto his hand and allowed himself to be pulled gently from the ground.

"T-thank you …" Once Ritsuka was on his feet, Kougaiji released his hand before speaking to him with a slight hiss.

"Don't call me that. Call me Kou or at least just Kougaiji."

"R-right…I'm sorry Kou."

"It's alright. What are you doing out here by yourself this time of night anyway?"

"Oh! I was just taking a walk really…what are you doing here? I-if you don't mind me asking." Kougaiji then slipped his hands coolly into the pockets of his tattered pants.

"I was looking for my sister. She saw a group of kids with those weird ears like yours earlier and she ran off after them. I haven't been able to find her since."

"Oh…I see." There was then a short slightly awkward silence before Ritsuka noticed the large bleeding cut on Kougaiji's face. "Oh no! You are hurt!" Kougaiji had already forgotten that he had gotten cut an raised a hand to his cheek to find that he was in fact bleeding.

"It's no big deal."

"Yes it is! I'm so sorry! This is all my fault…if you hadn't saved me then you would have never gotten hurt. I take full responsibility for this!" Kougaiji was slightly taken aback by Ritsuka's sincere concern and wasn't exactly sure how to respond to it.

"Um it's really fine kid. I couldn't just let those losers harass you."

"Well I insist that you let me at least bandage it for you."

"I really don't have time, I have to find my sister."

"I really insist…I don't live far at all and if you let me bandage that for you then I will help you find her afterwards." Kougaiji thought hard on this for a moment before deciding that two people searching would be more effective.

"Well…alright."

"Great. Thank you. Here follow me."

Ritsuka then began to walk back towards home with a still slightly reluctant Kougaiji following right by his side. The two walked in silence for a few moments before Ritsuka tried to strike up a conversation with this still very strange seeming person.

"So…your sister, is she the girl that was with you before?"

"Yeah. She is always wondering off like this; it's rather frustrating really."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that. I know it can be frustrating…I have a bad habit of doing the same thing and Soubi always tells me how much it worries him when I do."

"Who is Soubi?"

"Oh! He is my Sentouki."

"You're what?" Ritsuka then turned his head slightly to look at Kougaiji with a confused expression.

"My Sentouki….my fighter."

"I have no idea what you are talking about kid."

"Well first of all, my name isn't 'kid', its Ritsuka."

"Sorry…."

"Second, you must not be part of a battle pair then."

"I suppose not. None of this makes any sense to me. This whole place seems a little screwy actually…especially the weird ears." This comment really threw Ritsuka for a loop and it almost stopped him dead in his tracks.

"You think my ears are weird? You mean…you never had ears like mine?"

"Of course not." Before Ritsuka could question any further, they had arrived in front of the apartment that he shared with Soubi and decided that they could finish this conversation inside.

"Well here we are." Ritsuka then lead his new friend up to the door, unlocking it before opening it and gesturing him to come in. Kougaiji quickly walked inside and waited for his host to follow.

"Nice digs you got here."

"Thank you, it isn't much but its home." Ritsuka then motioned for his guest to follow him and he led him into the living room. "Here, have a seat and I'll go grab the bandages."

"Alright." Kougaiji then plopped down onto the large leather sofa and waited patiently for Ritsuka to return. It was only a short moment before the cat eared boy emerged from the other room with bandages in hand and sat down next to Kougaiji on the couch so that he was facing him.

"Ok, come here and I'll bandage that for you." Kougaiji did as he was told in silence and moved to be closer to the smaller boy and turned his face so that Ritsuka could get to the cut across his cheek. Now that Ritsuka could get a good look at the man on his couch he was finally able to see just how different he was. His ears were definitely not like anything he had seen before; they were long and came to a point and after brushing away some of the man's crimson locks, he could see three strange red markings that adorned his cheek. Finally after another moment, Ritsuka began to question his guest once again.

"Kougaiji….?"

"What?"

"Who…or what exactly are you?"

"I am Kougaiji and I am a demon prince." The words mixed with the nonchalant tone of this answer shocked, and somewhat excited Ritsuka and he was then very eager to find out more and continued his questioning with a new excited and inquisitive tone.

"A demon?! That's amazing! I have only read stories about demons; I didn't think they actually existed. Where did you come from?"

"I come from a place called Shangri-La. It is a beautiful place where humans and demons live side by side…or at least they did."

"Did?" Ritsuka's curiosity only grew the more he heard and it was all he could do to focus enough to continue applying the bandages.

"It's a long story."

"Well how did you get here?"

"I'm not sure exactly but I think we were banished here somehow."

"Wow…"

"My turn; what are you? I've never seen anything like people like you; what with the ears and all."

"Well I'm just a normal person, well except for being a Sacrifice. As far as the ears, everyone is born with ears and a tail and we lose them when we lose our virginity."

"Hmm….odd. So what is a Sacrifice then? And what was it you said before…a Sentouki?"

"Well that's also a long story but in a nutshell, there are certain people born with destined partners and those people become a battle pair. We engage in battles of spells and in battle there is the Sentouki, who does all of the spell casting, and the Sacrifice who receives all the damage from the battle." With that, Ritsuka finished putting on the last bandage and Kougaiji was finally able to turn to face Ritsuka.

"This really is strange place…thank you by the way." This caused Ritsuka to giggle slightly.

"Well you are pretty strange yourself Kou; and you are welcome." Ritsuka then gave the man a large grin that surprisingly earned him a small chuckle from the man next to him. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing." Ritsuka then gave the man a slight nudge to the shoulder in a coy manner with a slightly pouty expression.

"Oh come on! Tell me! If you are going to laugh at me you could at least tell me what is so funny." Ritsuka's expression again made Kougaiji chuckle and he raised a large hand to ruffle the boy's hair in a playful manner.

"Fine, geez. You just remind me a lot of my sister is all." This caused Ritsuka's cheeks to redden slightly and cross his arms in a pout.

"Are you saying I'm like a girl?!"

"No, it's not that. It's you attitude. You seem so small, fragile and innocent but in reality, and I'm just guessing at this, you are mature and wise beyond your years. I'm sure you could take care of yourself just fine and…you probably tend to bear the burdens of others more than anyone." Ritsuka's playful demeanor then quickly faded as he realized that this total stranger just completely figured him out in a matter of minute. He could only sit in a stunned silence. "Well, how close am I?"

"D-dead on…H-how are you able to read me that well?" Ritsuka then watched on as something seem to spark in the man's violet eyes and he saw them grow soft and his expression lighten, as if he was reminiscing.

"You really are so much like her…"

"Is that why…you saved me?"

"Hmph….I guess so. I have always been driven to protect her at all costs…so when I saw you being attacked, I just couldn't help myself. I felt the overwhelming urge to protect you, like I do her….it was a strange feeling actually." Ritsuka was then at a complete loss for words and he did his best to break the silence by changing the subject.

"Well should we start looking for your sister?" Kougaiji also tried to snap out of the odd daze he had stumbled into.

"Y-yeah."

"Alright, let's get going then." Ritsuka then stood from his place on the couch and turned to begin to walk towards the door, but he was suddenly stopped however by the feeling of Kougaiji grabbing gently onto his wrist.

"Hold on a second…" Ritsuka then turned back around to see that Kougaiji was still seated but looking up at with eyes filled an emotion that he couldn't quite figure out.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yeah…it's just that…I feel strange…." Ritsuka could feel Kougaiji's grip on wrist tighten slightly and he swallowed hard, beginning to become fearful of what was going on.

"I-is everything ok?"

"There is something about you…I…I just don't think I can help it…."

"Don't think you can help wh-"

Ritsuka's words were then abruptly cut off as he was yanked downwards so that he fell into Kougaiji's lap. His eyes then grew wide in shock when the crimson haired man pressed his lips roughly to his own. Ritsuka's first thought was to panic but, for a reason he didn't understand, his body did the exact opposite and instead his eye lids fluttered closed and he eagerly returned Kougaiji's heated kiss. Seeming to be acting on pure instinct, Kougaiji moved a large hand to rest on the small of Ritsuka's back and pulled the boy closer so that they were pressed together chest to chest. This sudden movement caused Ritsuka to gasp slightly and unknowingly allow Kougaiji access to slip his tongue inside his mouth. As their tongues danced together, they both reveled in the other's taste which was nothing like anything thing either of them had experienced before. Finally after a few moments they broke away from each purely out of a need for air. They then sat panting, looking into each other's eyes in silence before Kougaiji mustered the air to speak.

"I'm sorry….I said I couldn't help it."

TBC

 


	4. Strange New Feelings

"K-Kougaiji…I-I don't…"

Ritsuka was hopelessly stammering, trying to find any words to say to the dark skinned man whose lap he was still seated upon. No matter how hard he tried however, all he could seem to do was stare hopelessly into deep violet eyes while his mind became flooding with racing thoughts. Kougaiji as well was equally stunned by his own actions but instead of trying to find words that he knew he never would, he simply remained silent with only a slightly flustered expression on his face. A short tense moment passed before Kougaiji finally broke the silence.

"Look…I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me. Just forget about it ok?"

Ritsuka could tell that the man beneath him was being sincere yet for some reason his heart felt heavy, almost as if he was disappointed. It was true that Ritsuka had grown in age but he still had a hard time figuring out even his own emotions and in this moment he was more confused than ever. The odd feelings and racing thoughts quickly became too much for the small boy and seemingly out of nowhere, something inside him snapped and acting on what felt like his gut feelings, he threw his arms desperately around the taller man and pressed his lips firmly back against his, taking Kougaiji very much by surprise. The shock passed quickly and Kougaiji slyly slipped his hands up the back of Ritsuka's loose fitting shirt so that he was able to feel the boy's soft supple skin. The feeling of the demons long pointed fingernails running gently along his delicate skin caused Ritsuka to shiver in pleasure and let out a small moan, sending vibrations through their heated kiss. Ritsuka decided to take advantage of Kougaiji odd choice of wardrobe, mainly his already open shirt, and ran his small hands along his muscular chest, reveling in the feeling of the man's highly defined figure. Ritsuka then let out a small whimper when Kougaiji broke free from their kiss, but he was quickly distracted when the stronger man effortlessly shifted his weight to pin him down onto his back on the couch. Ritsuka now found himself looking up into lust filled eyes that where half covered by long crimson locks. He wasn't given very long to take in this sight however as Kougaiji ran his hands softly along his sides, pulling up his shirt as he did, and began a full scale assault on his pale white flesh. The demon prince then stopped suddenly to sit up and take in a good look of the small blushing panting boy that he was now straddling. Ritsuka's cheeks then reddened even more upon seeing the man lick his lips with a grin.

"You look good enough to eat…" Before Ritsuka could respond to this comment, Kougaiji resumed his attack by placing a perfectly teasing lick across one of the boy's pert nipples, causing him to arch his back and cry out.

"Ahh…"

The sounds that were now falling from the boy's lips were almost intoxicating and he was determined to hear more and Ritsuka seemed more than willingly to supply. Kougaiji then clamped down gently on the boy's nipple, swirling his tongue around it teasingly, earning him more lusty sighs and small moans while the boy laced his hands through his long hair, pulling on it gently. Ritsuka then gave another desperate whimper as Kougaiji stopped abruptly and sat up once again, this time turning his attention toward the small window with a serious expression. Ritsuka was very confused as to what was going and very disappointed in the loss of contact so he took a quick moment to catch his breath before speaking.

"Kou, what is it?" The man replied in a serious tone while never averting his gaze from the window.

"Someone is coming this way."

"Huh?"

"I can hear footsteps headed in this direction, maybe a half mile away."

"Wow…you can hear that?"

"Yes." Ritsuka was in awe at this ability but was then quickly snapped back into reality and panic quickly followed.

"Oh no! It must be Soubi!" Kougaiji gave a small growl at this before reluctantly climbing off the boy beneath him.

"I see. Should I leave?" Ritsuka did his best to keep calm as he pulled his shirt back on and fixed his ruffled hair. Despite his flustered state, he was able to think clearly after only a short moment and sat up on the couch to reply.

"No. I told you that I'd help you find your sister and I keep my word, always." The demon prince truly admired Ritsuka's sincerity and loyalty and he let out a small chuckle before patting the boy on the head with a smirk.

"Thanks kid…um sorry, Ritsuka." Ritsuka then returned Kougaiji's smirk with a warm smile of his own.

"Well let's get going then. If it is Soubi coming, we can meet him half way and all look together."

"Alright."

The duo then quickly finished collecting themselves and easily reverted to an attitude as if nothing had happened at all as they made their way out of the front door of the apartment. They walked together side by side in a comfortable silence as they were each lost in their thoughts. It was ten minutes or so before Kougaiji and Ritsuka both suddenly saw a dark figure begin to appear on the sidewalk a few yards in front of them. The street lights were very dim and they couldn't make out the figure at all; all they could see was that the figure appeared to be unnaturally tall and was indeed headed their way. Ritsuka remained calm as the figure drew closer, while Kougaiji became tense as if preparing for battle. As soon as the figure finally stepped just close enough into the light, Ritsuka burst out in laughter while Kougaiji smacked his palm against his forehead as a high pitched voice rang out through the air.

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan! Look! Look! This guy is even taller than that priest we used to play with!"

Neither Ritsuka nor Kougaiji could believe what they were seeing. The figure that emerged was not one person but was instead a tall calm blonde with the bubbly orange haired girl perched high up on his shoulders waving fervently. Once the two parties were face to face, Soubi addressed the demon prince in a calm yet slightly annoyed tone while both Ritsuka and Lirin continued giggling wildly.

"I'm guessing this belongs to you?" Kougaiji was quick to roughly yank the small girl from Soubi's shoulders before replying in an equally annoyed manner.

"Yes…I apologize for her actions." Kougaiji then turned to the girl that he now had held just above the ground by the collar of her yellow shirt. "I've been looking everywhere for you! You can't just wonder off whenever you feel like it you know!" The scolding caused the girl to pout and make big puppy dog eyes at her angry brother.

"Im sorry Onii-chan…" Kougaiji then set the girl down before turning to speak to Soubi once more.

"Again I apologize for my sister." Soubi then replied in a softer tone now that the weight had literally been lifted from his shoulders.

"It's alright. I found her chasing school girl around town. I didn't want her to get into any trouble so I picked her up."

"Thank you."

"It was no trouble Mr…"

"Kougaiji. And this is my sister Lirin."

"Well Kougaiji, I see you have already met Ritsuka." This statement caused Ritsuka to quickly cut in to explain himself.

"Oh yeah! I was taking a walk in the park after you left and I was jumped by some muggers and Kougaiji saved me." This caused a very worried look to consume Soubi's face and he gently took Ritsuka by the wrist and pulled him in close."

"Are you alright? Were you hurt?"

"I'm fine Soubi. Kougaiji stopped them before they could do anything." Ritsuka then looked up to see that the blonde's expression had changed to a slightly hurt one.

"Why didn't you call for me?"

"I did. Well…I tried…but I guess it still doesn't work quite right." Soubi let out a disappointed sigh before addressing the dark skinned man in front of him.

"Well I am in your debt Kougaiji."

"No, it's fine. You found my sister so let's call it even."

"Fair enough." Soubi then looked down at Ritsuka once more to speak to him softly. "Ritsuka….let's go home. It's late and you have school in the morning."

"Ok Soubi."

"Goodbye Kougaiji, Lirin."

With that, Soubi took Ritsuka under his arm and began to walk away from the demons and towards home. As they walked, Ritsuka turned his head to gaze over his shoulder at the duo standing beneath the street light right where they left them. As he looked at the crimson haired man with his hands placed coolly in his pockets and his hair waving in the wind, he couldn't help but to wonder if he would ever see the demon prince again.

TBC


	5. Innocence Lost

"Soubi quit it! T-that tickles! I said I'm fine!"

Ritsuka was struggling through his words in between giggles as Soubi thoroughly inspected every inch of the small boy on the couch, looking for any sign of injury. Once reassured that his Sacrifice was unharmed, the blonde finally released the boy form his grasp and allowed him to catch his breathe.

"I'm sorry, but you were attacked…I just want to be sure that you are ok." Ritsuka wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye, which had formed from laughing, before replying to the straight faced blonde.

"I know Soubi. I promise I'm ok. Kougaiji showed up just in time and beat them up pretty badly."

"I see…well you should be more careful. You can't always trust everyone…" This caused a slightly sour expression to cross Ritsuka's face.

"And you can't distrust everyone Soubi. He saved me and after talking with him and thanking him, he told me that his sister was missing; so I thought helping him look for her was the least I could do to repay him." Soubi didn't seem convinced despite Ritsuka's best efforts and remained slightly stern.

"Still…there is something off about those two and they are obviously not like any normal person, even their appearances are off. I don't trust it."

"Well they are different Soubi. While I was talking with him I felt the same way and when I asked what he was…he said he was demon." This finally caused Soubi's expression to change to a very surprised one.

"Demons?"

"Yeah. I couldn't believe it either but like you said, they are very different."

"Hmm…interesting indeed." There was then a short pause in the conversation before Soubi made an abrupt shift in attitude upon looking up at the clock and seeing that it was almost eleven o'clock at night. Ritsuka saw his expression change to his normal happy warm one and he gave the boy a smile seemingly out of nowhere.

"What are you smiling about Soubi?" Instead of an answer however, Ritsuka was slyly caught in a short but very tender from the blonde.

"It is still our anniversary you know." Ritsuka was then warmed to see a smirk cross his partners face and he was eager to return it along with slightly lusty eyes and a low seductive voice.

"I suppose it is."

"Shall we go to bed?"

"Yes…I think we should."

This was all the tall blonde needed and he was quick to scoop the boy up in arms bridal style and carry him lovingly into their bedroom. Almost as soon as they crossed the threshold of the door however, the anticipation and heated passion that had been building up inside them both for four long years seemed to overtake them completely. The atmosphere in the room seemed to almost catch fire and Soubi quickly made his way over to the bed and laid the boy down gently before climbing on top of him with a fiery light in his eyes. It was then only a matter of seconds before the blonde had done away with the boys shirt, leaving him blushing and exposed with his ears laid back against his head, his arms lying perfectly above his head and his tail twitching in a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Soubi made sure to take one last good look at this sight before it would be gone forever.

"Are you sure you're ready Ritsuka?" The small boy gave a small smirk at this question before grabbing onto the collar of Soubi's shirt and yanking him down to catch the blonde's lips in a deep and passionate kiss. Ritsuka then pulled away slightly to look at Soubi panting with lust filled eyes.

"I think I've waited long enough."

The blonde needed no further instruction and he began leaving a trail of wet kisses all the way from his lover's sensitive ears down to the brim of his tight fitting black jeans, earning him small gasps and pants as he did. Soubi's mouth then found its way to one of the boy's perky nipples and he bit down on it gently causing Ritsuka to gasp slightly. Soubi continued his assault while slyly grinding his hips against his partners. It wasn't long at all before Ritsuka could feel the bulge in Soubi's tight leather pants quickly growing and he was then determined to show the blonde just how much he loved him. This determination alone was what gave the much smaller boy the strength he needed to take the blonde by surprise and shift his weight just enough to make the taller man topple onto the bed beside him. Soubi could then only watch on as his lover climbed on top of him, straddling his hips perfectly, and skillfully remove his shirt. Ritsuka could then finally take in the sight of Soubi's snow white skin and lightly muscled chest adorned with various scars that Ritsuka found to be oddly arousing. The boy then gave a smirk before leaning down to nip, not so gently, at Soubi's collar bone causing a low deep groan to escape from his lips that only drove Ritsuka more mad with desire. Ritsuka decided to take advantage of this position and quickly made his way to the brim of Soubi's very low cut pants and unzipped them seductively, finally releasing his very large erection. Soubi became completely entranced with watching his small partner's expressions as he ran his tongue teasing along his entire length.

"Nnn…."

Ritsuka was quickly becoming more and more confident in himself and he gave a few more playful licks and flicks of his tongue before finally taking Soubi's member completely into his mouth causing the blonde to cry out once more. Ritsuka then smirked around the organ in his mouth and looked up at Soubi with a very grown up looking face. He then began to bob his head slowly up and down while swirling his tongue around Soubi's erection. Soubi only became harder when he looked down to see just how seductive the boy looked with his erection in his mouth, his eyes closed and his ears pressed out to side of his head; the sight was quickly becoming too much even for the more experienced blonde. Soubi's distraction made it all the more pleasurable when Ritsuka very skillfully flicked his tongue gently across the sensitive tip of his member and he couldn't help but to throw his head back and groan in pleasure.

"Haa…aahh…"

At this rate Soubi knew he wouldn't be able to last much longer, so he gently took the boy's face in his large hands and lifted it off his erection, earning him a confused expression from the boy; an expression that was only met with a slightly sinister one from the blonde. Before he knew it, Soubi had grabbed Ritsuka by the waist and flipped him over onto his back with one swift movement so that he was once again on top of his Sacrifice. They were both now panting heavily and neither one could sustain this pace any longer and Soubi could see the pleading desire written all over Ritsuka's face. The blonde then ran is large rough hands down the boys fragile frame before smoothly sliding off his tight pants, taking his boxer briefs with them and tossing them onto the floor. Soubi was then finally able to take in every inch of the boy that he loved so much, including his now very prominent erection. The blonde then leaned down to catch his lovers lips in a kiss while sneaking his hand down to trace a long finger along the boy's erection causing him to arch his back high off the bed and let out a muffled moan into their kiss. After a few more teasing stokes, Soubi slyly moved his finger to prod gently at the boy's tight entrance earning him more eager pants and gasps. Ritsuka was quickly becoming frustrated with the teasing and waited for just the right moment to slip his tail around from underneath him and wrap it around Soubi's erection and begin stoking it. The sudden feeling took the blonde completely by surprise and just as Ritsuka had planned, it caused him to abruptly slide his long finger into his tight entrance.

"Ahh!"

Soubi then broke free from their kiss to give Ritsuka a very happily surprised look before slowly moving his finger in and out of the boy. Each movement caused very sexy faces to consume Ritsuka's face and this caused the blonde to gently slip another finger inside the boy and begin to move in a scissoring movement to properly prepare him. While doing so, Soubi suddenly found that elusive sweet spot inside his partner, hitting it dead on, that caused him to cry out loudly.

"Ahhh!"

This caused the blondes member to throb almost painfully and he finally no longer stand it. He slowly removed his fingers, much to Ritsuka's disappointment. The disappointed was short lived however as Soubi grabbed onto the boys ankles, lifted them up so that they were resting on his broad shoulders, and positioning himself at the boy's entrance. He then slowly pushed himself inside until his erection was completely consumed by the small boy, causing him to wince in pain. The blonde made sure to hold very still to allow the boy to adjust to his length until he gained approval in the form of a slight buck of the boy's hips. This silent answer was more than enough for the tall blonde and he planted his hands firmly on the bed before pulling out of him slowly and then thrusting himself back in.

"Ah! S-Soubi!"

Soubi was completely lost in the feeling of finally being connected to his partner and he would have never imagined that the boy's tight virgin entrance would wrap around him so perfectly. The two then quickly let their passion rise as Soubi pulled back his hips and thrust them forward again, this time the boys hips bucking up slightly to meet him.

"More Soubi…please…"

Ritsuka's raspy voice made it all too easy to oblige and he began to thrust in and out of him faster and faster until he once again drove into the boy's sweet spot.

"Ahh! S-Soubi…H-harder!"

The blonde then gave a smirk before grabbing onto the boy's small shoulders and thrusting deep and hard back into him, pulling him down onto his erection as he did. Ritsuka's moans then became louder and louder and they came perfectly in time with Soubi's movements. The boy could then feel a knot quickly tightening in the very pit of his stomach and he began to buck his hips wildly and cry out desperately.

"Faster! S-Soubi I'm going to…Ahh….nnn…"

The boy's pleas were music to the blonde's ears and mixed with his lusty tone, began to make his stomach tighten as well as he did as instructed and began driving into him at an even faster pace. Soubi then gave one last thrust hard and deep into his partner that finally drove the boy over the edge of pure ecstasy and he released himself onto the blonde's chest and the dark sheets of the bed.

"Ahhh! Soubi!

This in turn caused all the warm moist muscles around his erection to tighten, driving Soubi over the edge as well, spilling himself completely inside the boy.

"Nnn…Ritsuka…"

Soubi then gently pulled himself out of the boy before collapsing onto the bed next to him, both of them panting heavily. After he was able to catch his breath, Ritsuka shakily propped himself up on his hands enough to lean over and seductively licked every drop of his essence off of Soubi's chest. He then collapsed onto Soubi's chest, completely exhausted and quickly failing to fight off sleep. Once completely recovered, Ritsuka lifted his weak head to look up at Soubi with half open eyes.

"I love you Soubi…" The blonde then watched on with a smile as the boy quickly slipped away into peaceful on his chest. He then placed a tender kiss on his forehead while he watched the boy's ears begin to slowly fade away.

"And I love you Ritsuka."

The next morning came far too early for the blonde and the sunlight peeking in through the window caused him to stir from his sleep, much to his displeasure. When he opened his eyes however, he saw that he was now alone, and still naked, in the large bed but he noticed a small note placed on the pillow next to him. He picked up the small note and read it with a smile.

Soubi

Left early for school to pick up a pair of false ears.

I don't want any of the teachers to talk to me about my ears.

See you when I get home.

I love you

Chu!

Love, Ritsuka

Soubi then neatly folded the note and placed it on the night stand before rolling over and lying back in the bed with a wide grin on his face. He really had never been happier and he couldn't wait to see his partner once more, earless and fully matured at last.

Ritsuka's school day seemed to fly by in almost no time at all and all he could manage to do for the entire day was daydream of the night he spent with his Sentouki and sneaking in little laughs at the idea that the ears that now adorned his head were no longer his but a façade. By the time the final bell rang to release the students for the day, Ritsuka could hardly wait to get home and take off his false ears and truly admire his new image. This thought drove him to make a bee line for the exit of the building with Yuiko following silently in toe as she always did. Once they arrived in the large courtyard, they met with Yayoi and spent a few minutes catching up with small talk about their day. After a few a short while however, Ritsuka caught glimpse of a flash of crimson from the corner of his eye. He turned his head and was taken by complete surprise when he saw the handsome demon prince leaning coolly against the iron gate that surrounded the courtyard. His mind then quickly became very flustered and he turned to Yuiko and spoke in a hurried tone.

"Hey, can you walk home with Yayoi again today? I have something to do today."

"Ok. Whatever you want Ritsuka." Ritsuka was relieved to hear that the girl wasn't putting up a fight today ad gave her a small smile.

"Thank you. I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Bye Ritsuka."

Once Ritsuka was sure that his friends were out of sight he quickly made his way over to where Kougaiji was standing. He was slightly surprised to see him, but oddly happy. Once he arrived in front of the man, he tried his best to hide his excitement by speaking in a cool normal tone.

"Hey Kougaiji."

"Hello." Ritsuka could pick up a slight tone of concern or frustrated in the dark skinned man and quickly became worried.

"What are you doing here? Is everything ok?" The man let out a long sigh before replying.

"No…I've lost Lirin again."

"Oh no….did you see where she ran off to?"

"No. I just turned around and she was gone. So…I was wondering if you would help me find her." The worry in the man's voice caused Ritsuka's heart to hurt for some reason and he could feel a somewhat familiar heavy feeling in his chest that he tried his best to dismiss.

"Of course I will." This finally brought a small smile to the demons face.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem. Let's get going." Kougaiji then stood up from his leaning position but right before they started walking, a student running by accidently knocked into Ritsuka and his false ears fell to the ground. His heart then completely sank when he saw an odd expression consisting of what looked like confusion and anger cross Kougaiji's face as he picked the false ears off the ground.

"What are these?" Ritsuka then began to panic slightly for a reason he couldn't explain.

"Um..they are false ears…" This earned him an angry glare from the taller man.

"False? But I thought they only went away when you lost your virginity?" Ritsuka then averted his gaze to the ground before replying in a soft voice.

"Yeah…that's true."

Ritsuka then became consumed with confusion and fear when Kougaiji quickly and roughly grabbed him by the wrist with an angry expression and without a single word, began to drag him away at a hurried pace. Ritsuka had no idea what was going on or where Kougaiji was taking him, but it knew that it couldn't be good.

**TBC**


	6. Consumed

"K-Kougaiji, what's wrong?! Where are you taking me?!"

Ritsuka could only question desperately at the strong man that was pulling him along by his small wrist in a seemingly random direction. Knowing all too well how strong the man was, and not knowing at all what a demon prince might be capable of, Ritsuka decided it was best not to fight and allowed himself to be pulled along. It was the silence from the dark skinned man however, that was truly beginning to irritate the boy.

"Kougaiji! Answer me!" This outburst finally caused the man to at least look over his shoulder with a glare to respond to his distraught captive, never slowing his pace even a bit.

"I don't know what's wrong ok! We just have to go."

"Well can you let go of my arm please? I'll come with you."

"No." This blunt answer only irritated the boy further and he began to strike an annoyed tone.

"Well can you at least slow down?!"

"Fine." The boy's tone seemed to get through to the man as he looked over his shoulder once more before finally slowing down and allowing Ritsuka to walk at his side, but not releasing the boy from his grasp even for a second.

"Thank you…now can you tell me where we are going?" Kougaiji kept his gaze fixed ahead as he replied.

"My place." This caused Ritsuka to cock his head to the side slightly with a curious expression.

"Your place? I didn't know that you were staying somewhere. I thought you were banished here?"

"We were banished here, but we happened across some money and were able to rent a small apartment last night." This sounded very suspicious and Ritsuka couldn't help but to question further.

"How did you just happen across money?" This finally caused Kougaiji to turn his gaze to look at the boy with a stern expression.

"No more questions." Ritsuka then just let out a defeated sigh before giving in to the man's strong and stubborn personality.

"Fine."

The duo then walked in a somewhat tense silence for roughly ten minutes before they arrived in front of a small apartment complex just on the outskirts of town. The demon didn't miss a beat however and began walking briskly up the metal stairs of the complex with Ritsuka still firmly in his grasp. After three flights of stairs, Kougaiji finally stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway and only then did he release Ritsuka's arm. Ritsuka then looked up just in time to see Kougaiji turn to him with a slightly softer expression and the demon spoke to him a much calmer tone.

"This is where Lirin and I are staying. I um…I apologize for being so forceful but I just…well I still don't know." There was then a short pause as it seemed like Kougaiji was struggling just to act calmly. "So you wanna come in?" Ritsuka was completely confused as to what was going on with the strange man but just as the day before, he couldn't seem to shake the overwhelming urge to comply with him.

"S-sure."

Kougaiji then turned the door knob and pushed the door open before motioning for Ritsuka to step inside. Ritsuka again complied without question and entered the apartment. Kougaiji was quick to follow and even quicker in shutting and locking the door behind them. Once inside Ritsuka took a good look around and quickly noticed that the small dwelling was completely bare, with no furniture of any kind anywhere to be seen.

"Well it definitely looks like you moved in last night…where have you two been sleeping?" When Ritsuka turned around to look at the older man, he could see that his attitude and demeanor had now become much calmer and he ran a large hand through his hair before replying.

"Yeah…we haven't really got much. We sleep on the floor though." Just the thought of this was enough to break Ritsuka's heart and his expression clearly showed that.

"I'm sorry…that must be uncomfortable."

"It's really not a big deal. Lirin and I have had to deal with much worse conditions." Again Ritsuka could feel his chest grow heavy with pain and he slowly took a few steps towards the man until he was close enough to look directly up into crimson eyes with a sincere expression.

"Kougaiji…if you ever need anything, I hope you'll let me know. I could always bring you two some food and help you find furniture."

Kougaiji's eyes then grew wide in shock at this statement. He had never had someone say such things to him before and had never been treated in such a way, like he mattered. For his whole life even his own family, with the exception of Lirin, had always only treated him as a means to an end of some sort. He could then only stand in complete silence for a moment before Ritsuka reached out and touched his hand softly.

"Kougaiji…?" The sensation not only snapped Kougaiji out of his daze but caused something inside his very being begin to bubble and he let out a low growl against his will, causing Ritsuka to pull away from him slightly. This in turn made Kougaiji force himself to remain calm in an attempt not to frighten the boy.

"Sorry…I don't know what's come over me." The soft tone of the man's voice did indeed comfort Ritsuka and he relaxed once again.

"It's ok….So Kou, why did you bring me here anyway?"

"I'm not entirely sure…I…can't remember why I brought you here actually." Ritsuka was becoming very puzzled once again but was desperate to try and figure the man out.

"Well you said Lirin was missing again and we were going to go look for her but when my ears fell off, you just started pulling me off."

Ritsuka's eyes then grew wide when Kougaiji's attitude shifted once more and he let out another, longer deeper, growl. The boy then took a small step backwards but in the blink of an eye, both wrists were captured and raised above his to the point that he was almost being lifted off the ground. He then found himself literally face to face with a serious faced and still growling demon prince.

"K-Kougaiji…?"

"I remember now…" The demon's voice was low and serious but for some reason Ritsuka wasn't scared but instead listening intently. "Your ears are gone."

"Y-yeah…" Kougaiji then placed his free hand on the small of Ritsuka's back and pulled the boy forward gently so that their bodies were pressed together and their faces now only inches apart.

"That means…someone else has touched what is mine."

Ritsuka then saw a spark in the man's eyes and he bore his elongated canine teeth behind a grin before pressing his lips firmly against his own. As soon as their lips connected, Ritsuka's body felt as though it had caught fire and without hesitation he eagerly returned the demons kiss, moaning slightly just from the feeling of the strong hands on his wrists and back and heated lips locked with his. Kougaiji then used his fangs wisely to bite down gently on the boy's bottom lip causing him to gasp allowing Kougaiji to slip his tongue inside and begin to explore every inch of the boy. Ritsuka desperately tried to keep up but as the seconds past, his stomach became aflutter and his knees soon buckled beneath him so that he was now supported by only Kougaiji's strong arms. Ritsuka couldn't help but to marvel at the man's strength and it only made his desire burn stronger to the point that he could feel the heat building in his groin and much to his distress, he was quickly becoming hard just from their kiss. Luckily Ritsuka was given some sort of relief when Kougaiji finally broke free from their kiss and they were both left panting and staring into each other's half-lidded eyes. Once he was able to catch his breath and able to plant his feet shakily back on the floor, Ritsuka couldn't help but to pry further into the man's previous statement.

"W-what do you mean, 'yours'?" He then stared intently into serious crimson eyes in silence for a short moment before Kougaiji finally released his arms, but kept a hand on his back, to answer in a low tone.

"I have a theory…" Kougaiji then used his free hand to take Ritsuka's chin gently in-between his fingers and tip his head back and out to the side, fully exposing the soft flesh of his neck. Despite being slightly confused as to what was going on, Ritsuka remained calm and quiet as the demon took a deep inhale through his nose before using his tongue to lick gently at the sensitive skin just beneath the boy's ear; causing him to shiver slightly. The demon then released Ritsuka's chin and the boy simply looked at him curiously before speaking.

"Ummm….well?" The man then replied in an even, calm yet serious tone.

"It would seem that yesterday when I kissed you…well I imprinted on you." This odd answer was enough to draw a slightly flustered expression from the small boy.

"You what?!" Kougaiji then let out a short sigh and his eyes softened, acting as if he was a dog being punished.

"I imprinted you. I didn't mean to…" The look on the man's face caused Ritsuka's chest to grow tight once again and he lower his voice and spoke in a much softer one.

"No, I mean…what does that mean exactly? I think I've heard of that before in biology class but I thought only animals imprinted on their mothers?"

"Well it's similar. Most demons in my world have lost the ability to imprint but purebloods like Lirin and I still have the capability. Except we don't imprint on our parents…we only imprint on our mates." Ritsuka's eyes grew slightly in a mild state of shock as to what he was hearing.

"So…you claimed me as your mate?"

"Yes."

"How can you be sure?"

"Mostly the way you smell but also your taste. Once I imprinted on you, your smell became registered in senses as well as the way you taste."

"Then why weren't you acting this way before?"

"I knew something was odd immediately after I imprinted on you. I could already smell you no matter how far away I was. Then when I saw you today and found out that someone else had touched you, my instincts kicked in and I became defensive; this also struck me as odd. But it wasn't until just now that I am positive." Ritsuka took a short silent moment to take in all this information, still being held gently by the demon, and it was only now that all his strange feelings started to make sense. He didn't fully understand how the process worked but could only figure that this was the reason that he never felt afraid around the demon and always seemed so sensitive to his emotions and movements.

"So then…what happens now? I mean, I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do or how this will affect my life you know?"

"Well I haven't exactly had this happen to me before…all I know about imprinting is what I have read; all I know for sure is that I can't fight these feelings no matter how much I try."

"I think I know what you mean…I've felt strange since then too…but I have a Sentouki…I just don't know what to do, I love him." This caused a small growl to escape from deep in the demons throat but it was quickly choked away as Kougaiji replied in a very defeated sounding tone.

"Well from what I have read…you have a choice."

"I do?" Kougaiji then released the boy from his strong arm and took a small step back before averting his gaze away from him while putting his hands in his pockets, making him look like a man torn down.

"Yeah…the imprint won't become permanent until the bond in consummated in flesh."

"You mean if we don't…"

"Yes. If the bond isn't sealed within two days of imprinting then the bond will be permanently broken." Ritsuka's stomach was turning and the pain in his heart deepened as he looked at the man before him. He wasn't sure if the feeling was because of the imprinting or if these feelings were truly his own, but deep down he felt as though the feeling in his chest was his own which only made the words weigh heavier on him.

"Kougaiji….I…I have no idea what to do…I can't deny that I feel really strongly for you…" These kind words caused the man to finally turn his gaze back to look deep into slightly teary purple eyes. He then simply waited in silence for the boy to continue. "…But I'm so confused. I still love S-" Ritsuka's words were then violently cut off by the demon prince.

"Don't! Don't…say his name."

"Huh?"

"It…it just makes my body burn to think of other's touching you. So I'm not sure if I will be able to control myself if you say that name." There was then a very tense silence as Kougaiji awaited his answer and Ritsuka thought very deeply as to what he would do. He could barely hold back the tears any longer as he felt like he was being torn in two. He knew how much he loved Soubi and how much they had been through together but he also couldn't simply ignore the strong feelings that he already had for the crimson haired man. After a short moment, Ritsuka clenched his fists slightly as he decided that the fact that he could feel so strongly, from the pit of his very being, for this person that he had only just met had to mean something.

"Kougaiji…this is all strange and new to me but…I just can't fight this." Ritsuka then watched as a hopeful spark lit up crimson eyes and the sight only confirmed his decision. "I will just have to worry about the rest later…"

"The rest?"

"I mean So-"

"I said don't!" Ritsuka then took a very deep breath before continuing with his resolve fully set.

"I mean figuring out what to tell…Soubi."

Ritsuka had braced him for what he thought might be coming but he truly had no idea what he was in for. Once the words had left his mouth, before he could even react at all, Ritsuka heard the man let out a deep growl before lunging at him with lightning speed. Kougaiji came at him with such force that before he knew what had happened, Ritsuka was forced hard into the wall behind him, causing him to wince slightly in pain, with his arms once again held high above his head; this time having them pinned against the wall. The man pinning him down was now panting slightly in between deep growls and he took a short moment to gather himself just enough to speak only a few words.

"Are you sure…?" Ritsuka was then overwhelmed by the pure power and primal nature of the man and he could no longer try to hold himself back as he moaned his answer almost desperately.

"Y-yes."

Without any further notice or word, Kougaiji gave a wide grin proudly displaying his fangs and licking his lips slightly before pressing his lips roughly against Ritsuka's locking them in a fiery and desperate kiss. The effects of the imprinting quickly over took the demon and he was reveling in the sweet flavor of his captive. Kougaiji's instincts then began to take control and he suddenly ripped the boy's shirt from his body, tearing it to shreds as he did. The sudden rush of cold air mixed with the heat of their kiss caused Ritsuka's knees to once again buckle beneath him. Kougaiji easily felt this and slipped his free hand beneath the boy's rear end, squeezing it as he did, and lifted him up. As soon as he did, Ritsuka instinctively wrapped his legs around the man's well-toned waist and Kougaiji released his arms so that Ritsuka throw them desperately around his neck, their lips never parting. Kougaiji then shifted his weight to keep the boy firmly pressed against the wall so that he could move one hand to run down the soft skin of the boy's chest, making a mental map of every inch of him. Ritsuka then gasped and finally broke away for air as he felt long nails run perfectly against his back, leaving long red marks as they did. The demon prince then gave a small smirk before sinking his fangs into Ritsuka's neck causing him to throw his head back as he cried out.

"Nnnn..."

The seductive sound of the boy's voice only fueled Kougaiji's need to completely claim the body in his hands and he moved his hand once more, this time to completely rip away the rest of the pesky fabric that separated him from his goal, throwing the tattered pieces to the floor. Ritsuka was quickly becoming more and more lost in the passion and heat of the situation he now found himself in and in a desperate need for contact, pressed his lips firmly back against the older man's. Kougaiji as well could barely hold himself back any longer and he slyly undid his belt and pants with his free hand, releasing his very large erection. Ritsuka was then forced to break away to cry out as he felt the man's hard member rub perfectly against his own.

"A-ahhh!" Kougaiji gave a large grin at this before leaning in to whisper in Ritsuka's ear in a gruff tone.

"Mmm…I will make this body mine Ritsuka…."

Ritsuka was then taken very much by surprise when the man abruptly and quickly pushed himself inside the small boy causing him to grit his teeth and wince at the pain as well as tighten his grip firmly around the demon's neck, burying his face into the nape of his neck. Kougaiji didn't say a word of comfort however, but instead did Ritsuka the small kindness of being very still for a brief moment. Once the pain began to subside, Ritsuka loosened his grip slightly and his ears were then filled with the sound of deep growl before feeling the man pull back almost completely out of him and then thrusting roughly back into his tight entrance.

"Aah!"

Ritsuka was astounded when the demon hit his sweet spot perfectly with that very first thrust. The feeling sent a wave of warmth through his whole body and he instantly craved more and his body reacted by tightening his legs around the man and bucking his hips hard against him. Kougaiji quickly got the hint and moved his hips back before crashing back into the boy once again.

"Y-yes!"

The air was then quickly filled with the mixing sounds of pants, moans and deep growls as Kougaiji quickened the time of his thrusts. Ritsuka's head remained buried helplessly in the nape of the man's neck until he felt a cool long fingernail run very gently along the length of his very erect member, and he threw his head backwards, almost smacking it into the wall. Kougaiji took advantage of this and placed teasing licks in all the right places along the boy's neck and ears, never stopping the assault of the boy's soft insides. The licking and nipping added to the perfectly placed thrusts were quickly becoming too much for Ritsuka's and he could feel his stomach start to tighten.

"A-a-ahh! K-Kou…I'm…I'm..nnn…AHHH!"

Ritsuka's could barely speak as the pleasure fully overtook him and with one last deep thrust, he was driven over the edge into ecstasy that spilled onto the demon's hand and chest. Ritsuka's climax caused all of his muscles to tighten around Kougaiji's member and he immediately followed suit with a long deep growl, releasing himself fully into his now fully bonded mate.

The duo remained right where they were panting and gasping for air for a few minutes before Kougaiji could feel Ritsuka's now very weakened body begin to shake in his arms. Now that the demon prince had calmed down, he was able to slowly pull himself out of the boy and gently lay his now limp body onto the soft carpet of the floor. Kougaiji then suddenly remembered the comment Ritsuka had made about the floor being uncomfortable so he quickly lifted the boy's body slightly so that he could slide beneath him and laid down so that his head and arms were resting on his chest. Ritsuka then happily buried his face into the man's arm that was now wrapped around him and laced his legs together with Kougaiji's. They remained in this peaceful silent state for a short moment before Ritsuka finally looked up at the handsome prince with a smile before speaking an exhausted voice.

"Kougaiji…"

"Yes?"

"What am I going to do about my clothes?"

Kougaiji let out a small laugh at this before placing a delicate kiss on the top of the boy's head and watched as his fluttered closed and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

TBC

 

 


	7. Truce?

"Onii-chan! I'm back-….oh…"

The bubbly orange haired girl did her best to restrain her giggles when she set eyes on her dark skinned brother laying naked on the apartment floor with the smaller, also naked, boy wrapped firmly around him. Her restraint didn't last long however and it was only a moment before she burst out into laughter that jolted both boy's from their sleep.

"H-huh…oh shit…Lirin…I um, well yeah…" The demon prince stammered through his words like a child caught in a lie, only making the girl laugh harder.

"Well I see you have had a good time Onii-chan."

"Yeah yeah shut up already." Kougaiji then quickly sat up caused Ritsuka to follow suit with only a stunned and silent expression on his face.

"Umm hi."

"Hello again Ritsuka." Kougaiji then reached over to grab his large white shirt and wrapped it around Ritsuka's small frame, in an attempt to cover him, before addressing his sister once more.

"And where the hell have you been anyway?" The girl then pursed her lips and put on an innocent face.

"Well I was planning on just going on a walk but then I saw this really cute group of people that I just had to follow, so I did." This caused Kougaiji to let out an aggravated groan.

"Lirin…you can't just keep running off seriously. We are not from here and we have no idea what might happen if too many people find out."

"I know I know Onii-chan! But I made a friend of my own this time!"

"Did you really now?"

"Mmhmmm! That's why I'm here actually. I wanted you to meet my new friend." The orange haired girl then motioned to her left to someone that was obviously standing just out of sight. Ritsuka's heart then almost stopped dead when he saw a tall busty pink haired girl walk through the door.

"Y-Yuiko?!" The girl was equally surprised to see her friend, especially in such a state; him now seated in the lap of the tall naked demon with strong arms wrapped firmly around him.

"Ritsuka! Um…hey…" The two friends were each blushing wildly as they each averted their gazes from each other in embarrassment. This caused a low growl to vibrate through Kougaiji's throat and he spoke in a low, soft yet firm tone.

"Lirin, do you think you and your new friend could maybe give us some privacy?"

"Aw come on big brother! We just got here."

"Lirin I said leave!" This caused the girl to pout very dramatically before taking Yuiko by the hand and exiting the apartment with a groan, closing the door behind them. Once the girls were gone, Kougaiji let out a small sigh but was put right back on alert when the door flung open again only seconds later and the orange haired girl poked her head back inside.

"Onii-chan…"

"What?!" Kougaiji was quickly becoming annoyed with the situation and hi tone clearly showed it.

"I sense something really…weird in here. Did you…-"

"Shut it! We will talk about it later ok? Now please just leave for a little while."

"Ok ok."

With that, the girl was gone once more and Kougaiji again let out a long sigh before falling backwards, taking Ritsuka with him, so that they were again lying on the floor with Ritsuka's head resting on the demon's strong chest.

"Sorry about her…"

"Um…it's ok."

"So do you know that girl?"

"Yeah…she is my best friend."

"Ah…well sorry again then." Ritsuka then slowly sat up while running a hand through his dark locks before letting out a long sigh.

"Its ok. I can handle her but…I don't know what to do about Soubi…" This caused the demon to jolt up with a slight growl before wrapping his arms around the small boy in a possessive manner.

"I don't really care what you tell him but you have to understand something Ritsuka…you are mine now. Once the imprint is set, it cannot be broken until the day I die." Ritsuka then turned around to look at Kougaiji with a curious expression.

"So what does that entail exactly?"

"Well from now on I can smell you and sense your feelings even when we are apart, no matter how far. Anytime you even think about me, I will know and I will come to you. If you are ever in danger, I will come to your aid. I will be by your side faithfully until the day I die. You must also understand that this bond is a fierce and possessive one, especially being bonded to me; I am very possessive to begin with and the bond only strengthens that. This means that if someone so much as touches without my permission…I won't be able to control my urge to protect you and kill anything that defies me." The look in those crimson eyes was enough to send warm chills through Ritsuka's entire body and he was quickly consumed with a mixture of fear and joy at the idea of a bond just as strong as the one shared in a battle pair.

"You know Kou…you and Soubi have a lot in common. That is very much like the bond between Sacrifice and Sentouki." There was then a short pause as Ritsuka attempted to wrap his mind around his own thoughts. "I…I don't know what I'm going to tell Soubi but I have to tell him. He is my Sentouki and I love him and share that strong bond with him…but I love you too, even if I've only just met you, I know I do. So I suppose…we will just have to figure something out seeing as the both of you share the same feeling over me…and I to you both." Ritsuka then saw a small smile cross the demons face before he leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his soft lips.

"You really are something you know Ritsuka; such a big heart, like no one I've ever met. I've never like the idea of imprinting but…since I am now bonded to one person for my entire life, I'm glad it's you." This caused Ritsuka to blush wildly and he was quick to change the subject.

"W-well I really should be going. I didn't go home last night and missed school today it looks like, Soubi must be worried sick. It's a miracle he doesn't have the entire police force out looking for me."

"Ha…I would be able to track just by smell you know." Kougaiji's condescending tone didn't take well with Ritsuka and he gave the man a gentle tap to the top of the head, like scolding a puppy.

"Don't talk bad about Soubi. Like it or not, he is my Sentouki and you are going to have to live with that and find a way to get along with him." Kougaiji then fell something that he had never felt before. Normally he would never allow anyone to talk to him in such a way and would have at least made a threat on someone's life, but when the words came from Ritsuka it was like a burning sensation in his mind that forced him to grit his teeth and obey.

"Right. Sorry."

"Good. Now, about my clothes…"

"Uh yeah….let's see." Kougaiji then looked around the empty apartment but found nothing except the tattered remains of the boy's clothes on the floor beside him. He then let out a short sigh before picking them up off the floor and holding the pieces in his large hands. Ritsuka then watched on in awe as Kougaiji's hands began to glow slightly and before his very eyes, he saw his clothes being mended in the man's hands. "Here you go."

"H-how did you do that?!" This earned him a smug smirk from the man.

"Well I am a demon prince. I do have powers you know; although I don't normally use them for such things."

"That's amazing…"

"It's no big deal. You should see the things I can really do with my powers." Ritsuka then gave an excited grin upon seeing Kougaiji give him a very mysterious and mischievous smirk.

"Will I ever get to see these great demon powers then?" Ritsuka then put on a smirk of his own as he leaned slightly closer to the taller man's face that was grinning back at him.

"Well I'm sure you are bond to see them eventually…you are stuck with me for life after all." Kougaiji then captured the boy's lips in a quick kiss before allowing him to stand on wobbly legs to get dressed while he followed suit. Once they were both fully dressed, Ritsuka took a deep breath before addressing the man that was now standing right by his side.

"Well, I guess we better get going then. I've got a lot of explaining to do."

"No…we have explaining to do. Remember, I will protect you in every way physical and emotional." Ritsuka then replied only with a warm smile before the duo exited the small empty apartment, headed towards the unknown.

The relatively short walk to Soubi's apartment seemed almost painfully short as Ritsuka was racking his brain in a desperate attempt to figure out what he was going to say to Soubi. Despite this immense fear, he was somehow comforted simply by the presence of the tall dark skinned man walking close by his side. Once the duo arrived in front of the door of the apartment, Ritsuka paused for a moment and took in a very deep breath before slowly exhaling and turning the knob and pushing the door open. The subtle sound of the door opening was enough to cause the blonde that was seated at the kitchen table, to jolt from his chair, knocking it over as he did, and run to the door.

"Hey Soubi." As soon as he set eyes on the small boy, Soubi completely ignored the figure standing next to him and ran over to wrap the boy up tightly in his arms and squeeze him tightly, causing a low growl to resonate through Kougaiji's throat that luckily went unnoticed.

"Ritsuka! Where have you been?! I have been calling you non-stop! Are you alright? What happened?"

"Y-your suffocating me Soubi…" Soubi then snapped out of his panic and let the boy go. It was only then that he noticed the other man standing next to him and he gave him a suspicious look before turning back to his Sacrifice.

"I'm sorry. I've just been so worried. Where have you been…? And why is he with you?" Ritsuka could clearly hear the discontent in Soubi's voice with that last statement accompanied by another low growl from the demon prince.

"Kougaiji stop it." This statement caused the demon to immediately stop his growling which allowed Ritsuka to turn his attention back to Soubi. "Soubi…can we all go sit? I've got a lot to tell you."

"Sure…" Soubi's voice was now a slightly hesitant one as he motioned for them both to come inside and led them toward the living room. Soubi then took a seat on the large couch before pulling Ritsuka down to be next to him and Kougaiji reluctantly took a seat in a chair across from them. With everyone seated, Ritsuka took another deep breath before speaking.

"Soubi….um…well I don't really know where to start…" Ritsuka's heart then began to race as he turned to face Soubi and he didn't know whether to scream or cry at the idea of what this might do to Soubi, the man that he loved and had loved him so feverishly for so long. Then suddenly, as if his mind had been read, Kougaiji began to speak in his place.

"Um…Soubi, let me explain a little more about myself." Soubi then promptly turned his attention to the demon.

"Please do."

"I am the demon prince Kougaiji. My sister and I are from a whole different world called Shangri-La. One day we encountered an enemy of ours and somehow we ended up banished here to your world."

"Well that explains some things…."

"There is more. The day we were banished, we ended up wandering the streets and wound up in front of Ritsuka's school. That was the first time I met him. It was really only in passing but the next day when my sister ran off, is when I came across Ritsuka in the park and rescued him from those muggers. I was injured in the process and he was kind enough to take me here and bandage my wound." There was then a short pause and Kougaiji's eyes locked dead on to Soubi's in an intense stare. "That night…I imprinted on him." Soubi's eyes then grew wide in a mixture of shock and confusion.

"Imprinted?"

"Yes. My species have the ability to imprint on someone. It is similar to how animals imprint on their mothers. But with demons it is different."

"Different how?"

"Well when a demon imprints, it is for life and it cannot be broken. The only other difference is that demons only imprint…on their mates."

Ritsuka then watched on in horror as Soubi leapt from his seat and lunged toward the red haired man. Before he could even blink, Ritsuka saw that Soubi now had Kougaiji pinned firmly against the wall behind them and was looking into crimson eyes with an expression of pure fury. Kougaiji however remained perfectly calm and simply stared back at him with a firm and fierce expression.

"Are you telling me that you have somehow claimed Ritsuka, my Ritsuka, as your mate?!" The tone of Soubi's voice was a most terrifying one and it caused Ritsuka to quickly stand from his seat.

"Soubi stop!" His plea went unheard however as Soubi waited for a reply from the man in his grasp.

"Well? Is this true Kougaiji?"

"Yes." Ritsuka then ran over to the tall blonde and began pulling on his shirt in an attempt to get him to release the demon but to no avail and Soubi kept his gaze fixed on his target with a bloodthirsty look.

"Tell me…do you have a last name Kougaiji?" This only added to Ritsuka's panic as he knew what Soubi was trying to do.

"Soubi no! You can't do that!"

"No I don't really." The demon's answer only fed Soubi's anger.

"Fine then… _incinerate…bring-"_ Soubi's words were cut short, just as brilliant blue and red flames began to gather around him, by the feeling of small hands being shoved hard into his stomach and Ritsuka used all his might to shove the two apart.

"Soubi I said stop! You cannot use spells outside of battle! You cannot use spells on regular people! And you absolutely cannot hurt Kougaiji! That's an order!" With the two strong men finally separated and both staring at the small boy who had never been angry in such a way before. Kougaiji remained right where he was and silent while Soubi took a few small steps towards Ritsuka with a very sullen expression on his face.

"Ritsuka…I apologize." Ritsuka then calmed himself down before wrapping his arms around Soubi's small waist and nestling his head into his muscled torso, earning a growl from across the room.

"Kougaiji I said you stop that." This command quickly quieted the irritated demon. "Soubi it's ok. I know this is all hard to understand and I can't imagine how you feel but you also can't imagine how I feel." Soubi then pulled the boy away slightly to look deep into Ritsuka's eyes.

"Then please tell me…tell me exactly what this means and what you wish from me. I am and always will be your Sentouki and I will always do whatever it is you wish of me."

"Oh Soubi…that is why I love you. You are my Sentouki and I am your Sacrifice, that hasn't changed one bit. I love you and that hasn't changed either. But you can't be mad at Kougaiji, this isn't all his fault. He imprinted on me because well…I kissed him; well we kissed each other. But what matters now is that it is done with and now we all have to deal with it."

"But what does this mean?"

"Well honestly Soubi…it makes him a lot like you." Soubi seemed absolutely insulted by this and turned to give a sneer to the man behind him.

"I doubt that."

"No really it's true. Kougaiji, tell him what you told me about the imprint." Soubi then turned around to face the man properly while he spoke.

"Well in short, it makes me bound to Ritsuka. I am now bound to protect him at any cost, even my life. I can track him from anywhere and sense when he is in danger and when that happens every atom in my body will bring me to his side." Soubi remained in a stunned silence at what he heard until Ritsuka's voice snapped him out of it.

"Sound familiar?"

"Yes…I suppose the bond is similar…"

"Exactly. Now I know this is all new and strange but all I'm asking from you both is that you try to get along until we figure out how we are all going to live with this because no matter what…I can't live without either one of you now."

Soubi and Kougaiji both then looked at Ritsuka with smiles before turning to face each other once more with much more stern expressions. The urge to please the small boy over took them both and they each took forced steps to be directly in front of each other and Soubi was the first to extend a hand toward the demon prince in an attempt to shake on a peace agreement. Kougaiji hesitated for a moment but ended up taking Soubi's hand and shook it firmly. Then again, as if by telepathy, they each pulled the other closer so their faces were very close, just close enough for Soubi to whisper to the demon prince.

"Just so you know…I'm not too keen on sharing."

"Heh…neither am I."

TBC

 

 

 


	8. Bonding

"So…."

Ritsuka was sitting nervously in a very tense silence that he now shared with his two companions that were maintaining a non-stop smoldering glare from across the room from each other. Ritsuka was doing his best to referee the two, but he quickly felt as though his efforts were in vein. It had only been about a half hour since he had told Soubi about his new bond to the tall red head and the two had spent the entire half hour in silence, only breaking their eye contact a few times to look at him. Ritsuka was already beginning to fear the worst for his new situation but he knew in his heart that he had try everything he could to make things work. After a few more tense and quiet moments, Ritsuka once more tried to break the silence.

"Hey Soubi…" The boy's soft voice seemed only barely enough to tear Soubi's attention away from the demon across the room.

"Yes?"

"I'm hungry. Could you make diner?" This request finally caused a smile to crack across the blonde's lips, much to Ritsuka's relief.

"Of course. Ramen ok?" Ritsuka was then more than happy to return Soubi's smile.

"Yeah, that sounds great." The blonde then rose from his seat and began to walk towards the kitchen but stopped upon hearing the boy's voice again, this time though not directed towards him; something the blonde was far from used to. "Do you like ramen Kougaiji?"

"I don't know. I've never had it." Ritsuka was a little taken aback by this and even Soubi abandoned his serious demeanor for a curious expression directed toward the red head.

"Really?" Kougaiji was then over taken with a completely new feeling for him, embarrassment. He couldn't understand why but the way the small boy spoke to him about such a trivial matter make his stomach churn and he turned his face away from him slightly.

"Yeah…I don't really know how to cook and I've never seen any restaurants or shops anywhere at home, so…" Even this small matter weighed heavy on Ritsuka's heart and he turned to his Sentouki with a worried expression.

"Soubi, please make Ramen for everyone." Despite Soubi's feelings on their current situation, he couldn't deny a request from Ritsuka, and more surprisingly, he couldn't find it in his heart not to feel bad for the demon prince.

"Of course."

"Thank you."

The blonde then disappeared into the kitchen and it wasn't long before the sounds of pots and pans clinking together could be heard from the living room. The gentle sound was all that could be heard but only for a short moment before Ritsuka slid down the long couch to be closer to Kougaiji, who was perched in the leather chair, to speak to him.

"Kou…?" Kougaiji was still feelings slightly embarrassed and couldn't bring himself to face the boy.

"Yes?"

"Did no one ever cook for you? Even as a child?"

"No."

"Kougaiji, look at me." The demon thought on this for a brief instant before deciding that this was no kind of behavior for a demon prince and he turned to face the boy with his head held high. As soon as his eyes locked onto brilliant purple ones however, his resolve quickly faded and it was then all he could do to not turn away again. "What do you mean 'no'? What about your parents?"

"My father was never around and my mother…well she was taken from me…in a way."

"In a way?"

"It's a long story." Ritsuka could see the glimmer of pain on the demons face and it completely broke his heart. He then stood from his place on the couch and took a few small steps to be right in front of the red head before gently plopping himself down onto the taller man's lap. He then looked up into deep crimson eyes with almost teary ones of his own.

"Kougaiji…I'm so sorry. I know what it's like to lose the people closest to you. My brother and father are gone, and my mother might as well be. I know how much it hurts." In that moment Kougaiji could feel all of Ritsuka's pain as if it was his own. For a moment he was at a loss for words so, in a rare tender moment, he nuzzled his face gently into the nape of Ritsuka's neck placing soft kisses as he took in the intoxicating smell of his newly formed mate. He stopped only when he felt Ritsuka's pain subside and he pulled away only enough to speak to the boy.

"Ritsuka, don't worry for my feelings or my past; what matters in you. You are all I need to forget everything and I swear to you that I will take away all your pain and make sure you will never suffer for another moment." Ritsuka was now fighting back the tears threatening to roll down his checks.

"No…your feelings do matter. Your feelings mean the world to me and I want to know everything I can about you; and I also promise to protect you but please don't ever say that your feelings don't matter ever again."

Kougaiji was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the idea of someone caring about him this way and again he couldn't find the words so instead he lifted Ritsuka's small face with one of his large hands before pressing his lips delicately to his own. Ritsuka was quickly beginning to learn that action was often an easy course for the demon and was more than happy to accept this expression and he gently wrapped his arms around Kougaiji's strong neck. The red head then made good use of his pointed canine teeth by biting down gently on Ritsuka's bottom lip earning him a soft breathy moan. The sound rang through his ears like the sweetest melody and caused a warm fire to quickly ignite in his belly, and it wasn't long before he wanted much more. Ritsuka found himself in a similar situation and he quickly deepened their kiss in a desperate attempt to quell the butterflies in his stomach. Kougaiji then skillfully slipped one of his hands underneath the boy's shirt and ran his long nails delicately across the soft flesh of his torso causing the boy to break their kiss to allow another moan to escape his lips. The demon was quick to press their lips back together with a hungry force but they were soon interrupted by the sound of Soubi calling from the kitchen.

"Diner's ready you two!" Ritsuka let out a somewhat disappointed sigh at this while Kougaiji made a low growl that rumbled through his throat. The duo then begrudgingly got up from the chair and made their way into the kitchen where two steaming bowls were waiting for them. The smell of the fresh food wafted through the air as they all took their seats and Ritsuka looked over to the blonde seated next to him with a smile.

"Thank you Soubi."

"No problem." The red head then lowered his head slightly before he dressed the blonde in a surprisingly timid voice.

"Thank you…" Soubi was doing his best to remain wary of the demon but he couldn't bring himself to question the man while it seemed as though he was trying to get on his good side.

"You're welcome." The three of them then all dug into their meal with smiles all around, an especially large grin adorning the red head. Ritsuka was able to catch a quick glimpse of this before the demon caught himself and dialed it back slightly.

"So, what do you think Kou?"

"It's really good!"

Ritsuka couldn't help but to let out a small giggle at the sight of the man trying to talk around a huge mouthful of noodles. Kougaiji noticed this only after the fact and could only swallow with a large gulp and let out a small chuckle at himself. They all then continued to enjoy their meal in a well needed state of peace. The peace and quiet was very short lived however as Soubi stopped eating suddenly and quickly stood from the table.

"Soubi, what's wrong?" Ritsuka set down his bowl with a worried expression while Kougaiji simply looked up from his curiously.

"Someone close by has just activated their Sentou systems." Soubi's calm yet serious tone made it clear that Soubi was worried.

"Can you tell who it is? Do you think they are here for us?"

"I can't say who it is for sure but I am sure they are looking for us. I can only sense one unit." Ritsuka then looked over at Kougaiji before standing and turning back to Soubi.

"What are we going to do Soubi?"

"That is your call but I don't think they will just leave us alone and they will find us eventually."

"Well then I guess we don't have a choice…we are going to have to fight them, but what about Kougaiji? I don't want to just leave him here." Ritsuka's tone clearly portrayed his concern but Kougaiji's keen ears only picked up one word from the conversation and he quickly stood to his feet with a smile.

"If it's a fight they are looking for, I can definitely be of some help." Soubi let out a chuckle at this much to the demon's dismay. "What's so funny? I can fight better than you! You are too scrawny, you wouldn't last a minute." The blonde then sauntered coolly to be face to face with the other man with a smile.

"It isn't that kind of fight they are looking for. Your muscles won't do you any good…and for your information, here…I am the best at what I do." This earned him a low growl from the prince and Ritsuka could only let out a sigh of frustration at the two of them.

"Alright you two, that's enough you're both pretty. Now if you don't mind, we kind of have a situation to deal with." The feuding duo then stepped apart and looked to their small master for direction.

"I apologize Ritsuka."

"Yeah I'm sorry…I guess I am still trying to figure things out here." Ritsuka then let out a small sigh before figuring out what to do.

"It's ok, the both of you. Now here is what we are going to do, Soubi and I have to go take care of this but I don't want to leave Kougaiji behind so we are just all going to go." Kougaiji gave a nod at this but Soubi was quick to question.

"How is that going to work Ritsuka?"

"We are going to make it work. It will be fine Soubi, Kou can't fight with us but he is going to have to learn about all of this stuff eventually so it's probably easier just to let him tag along and see for himself. Besides, he is with us now and we all have to watch out for each other." Soubi was still not too keen on this but he bit his tongue for Ritsuka's sake.

"Ok, if that's what you want."

"It is. Is that ok with you Kougaiji?" The red head replied with a firm nod in reply.

"Alright then, it's settled. Let's get going."

Ritsuka then promptly made his way out the front door with his protectors close behind, neither one wanting him to ever get too far out of sight especially with a battle team after them once again. The trio walked at a quick pace down the street where Soubi's humble home stood and made their way through the small park that stood in their neighborhood, now following Soubi who had taken the lead in order to locate the opposing force. Kougaiji made sure to place Ritsuka in between them as they walked and stayed ever vigilante of their surroundings. They continued on in a cautious silence until Kougaiji addressed the boy in front of him.

"Hey how do we know where we are going? And I forgot to ask but how did Soubi know someone was challenging you? I couldn't even hear anyone." Ritsuka slowed his pace upon hearing the man's voice so that he could walk beside him to answer.

"Well Soubi didn't hear them, he doesn't have super hearing like you do; but most Sentouki can sense another unit anytime and all of them can sense when someone has engaged their fighter systems. It's kind of like a sixth sense and he can use it to pinpoint their location as well. As a Sacrifice I have a similar sort of sense."

"Then why couldn't you tell they were coming?"

"Well it is a little different for a Sacrifice. We have the ability to call our Sentouki whenever we want but it's not like calling a phone, it is more like calling him with my soul. When I call, Soubi can feel me from anywhere and he comes running."

"I see…you know, you can call me too."

"I can?"

"Yeah, it's a little different though."

"How so?"

"Well whenever I am apart from you all you have to do is think about me and say my name. No matter where you are, how far or even if you just whisper, I'll be able to hear you."

"You could really hear me if we are half a world apart?"

"Yes. Even if I can't physically hear you, I'll be able to know your calling."

"Wow…that's amazing." Ritsuka's eyes were now sparkling as he looked at the red head, completely mystified by his abilities.

"Thanks." Their conversation was then interrupted when Soubi stopped suddenly in the middle of a small clearing.

"They are here." This caused both Ritsuka and Kougaiji to stop dead in their tracks and remain perfectly still and quiet, just waiting for the enemy to show themselves.

It wasn't log at all before two shadowy figures emerged out of the dark tree line. Ritsuka then stepped forward to be next to Soubi when he set eyes on a familiar short pink haired girl and her soft spoken brunette companion. Ritsuka was none to please to see these two again and he made sure to show it in his tone.

"Moonless…" The girl then stepped forward to be in front of her Sentouki and slid off her baseball cap, while leaving her long pink wig in place, to address the duo.

"Hello again Ritsuka! Long time no see."

"Can't say that I miss you terribly."

"Aw! That hurts my feelings Ritsuka!"

"Surely you will be ok. Now what do you two want?"

"We don't want anything. We do need you though."

"And why is that?"

"We have orders from the Seven Moons academy to bring you in for questioning."

"Questioning for what?"

"They don't tell us those kinds of things and even they did we wouldn't be at liberty to tell you."

"Well too bad, I'm not going anywhere with you so get lost."

"You know we can't do that Ritsuka." Despite being rather lost as to what was going on, Kougaiji could sense Ritsuka's annoyance and was quick to take a step forward to address the strange people.

"He said get lost." This sparked the small girl's interest and she quickly put on a large grin upon seeing the tall demon prince.

"Oh! Who is your handsome new friend there Ritsuka?" This caused Ritsuka to clench his fists in anger.

"That's none of your business!"

"Oh so feisty! Tell you what, how about we fight for him? Winner gets Mr. Tall dark and handsome."

"Screw you! He is mine!" This caused the girl to cross her arms and scrunch her face in a pout.

"Well fine then! Does that mean you are done with Soubi then? We could play for him instead." The girl's mocking was quickly becoming too much for Ritsuka and he began to spit his replies with a scary tone.

"You shut up! You won't ever lay your hands on Soubi! He is mine!"

"You know you can't keep all the good looking men to yourself."

"Not all of them…just these two. Now…leave me alone!"

"You really are no fun Ritsuka…go ahead Tokino." The brunette at the girls side then took a few steps forward to be in front of her before speaking a calm even voice.

"Right. I declare this to be a battle of spells." Soubi was more than happy to answer.

"We accept."

With the words spoken, a large glimmering bubble began to materialize all around them enclosing the two battle pairs within along with Kougaiji who simply looked around with a confused expression. Once the battle field was fully constructed, the trademark of the opposing duo became clear and it was only a short moment before Mikado was perched upon her throne with her Sentouki standing faithfully behind her while the billowy curtains and rose petals blew about. Once things had settled, Ritsuka turned to look at the confounded red head next to him.

"Kougaiji, I need you to listen to me carefully."

"Ok."

"Soubi and I have to fight now but you have to promise that no matter what, no matter what you think is going on or how hurt you think I may be, you absolutely will not interfere or step in in any way until someone wins and the battle field collapses. Can you do that?" The red head remained silent in thought for a brief moment before finding his resolve enough to answer.

"I can."

"Good." Ritsuka the motioned for the taller man to step backwards, which he did very begrudgingly, before turning back to Soubi with a determined expression. "Alright Soubi, I'm tired of hearing that girl talk. Shut her up for me." The blonde gave a wicked grin at this.

"Gladly….we are Loveless but our bond is anything but." The tall brunette then placed his hand on the shoulder of the girl seated in the throne before him.

"We are Moonless, in the absence of the moon we are the strongest. And the moon hides from us tonight…" Neither Ritsuka or Soubi were fazed however by the lack of a moon and Ritsuka was quick to direct his Sentouki.

"Give it your all Soubi!" The blonde was happy to follow these orders and began his offense feeling more than confident.

" _Shatter! A thousand needles that pierce the skin."_ Soubi's words shattered all of the lamps that had been taken into the battle field and sent the shards flying towards the small girl at lightning speed.

" _Denied! Your needles won't reach here."_ The brunette's defense wasn't nearly strong enough however to protect the girl and she was pelted by the shards, earning Soubi a thick restraint around her neck. The girl's Sacrifice then simply looked down at her with a calm expression, knowing defense wasn't their strength, awaiting commands.

"I'm fine Tokino, let him have it." The tall man then simply nodded before continuing.

" _Incinerate! Burning flames that consume the enemy."_

" _Reflect! Damage is zero."_ Soubi's defense came at astonishing speed and more than enough to block the oncoming attack like it was nothing. He then went back on the offensive. " _Electrify! Lightning that sends a thousand volts."_

" _Solidify! Defense is times ten."_ This time Tokino's defense came just in time to stop the lighting that was threatening to rain down upon them. "Now, _crush! Pressure that crushes everything."_ This spell came much faster than the others and Ritsuka was hit with a large wave of light before Soubi could utter one word in defense. The attack was a powerful one that caused two shinning restraints to clamp down on both of Ritsuka's wrists causing Kougaiji to clench his fists and Soubi to turn to the boy with a worried expression.

"Ritsuka!" Despite Soubi's worried call, Ritsuka barely flinched at the pain and was quick to answer the blonde.

"I'm fine Soubi. End this now, that's an order!" Once reassured, Soubi turned back to the enemy with a fiery expression.

" _Destruction! Everything breaks and bends to the oncoming force."_

" _Fortify! All defenses are increased by three."_

Soubi's spell sent the entire battle field shaking and rattling as if it would all fall apart at any moment. The power proved too much for the brunette's weak defensive skills and the attack landed hard on his Sacrifice causing her to cry out as she was fully retrained.

"Ahh!"

"Mikado!" With the girl fully retrained, Soubi lifted a large hand triumphantly into the air before speaking.

"Victory!"

With that the battle field began to crack and rattle, sending glowing pieces of it falling to the ground before disappearing into thin air. The rose petals that once filled the area began to flutter about in the wind until finally the entire area had collapsed. When everything had settled however, Soubi and Kougaiji were enraged to see that sometime in the low visibility Tokino had somehow grabbed hold of Ritsuka and was now standing across from them an arm wrapped around Ritsuka's neck and his small Sacrifice standing beside him with her arms crossed. The brunette then called across to Soubi in an even tone.

"Sorry about this, but we have no intentions of going back without him." Soubi was completely furious with himself that he had let his guard down and allowed Ritsuka to be captured, Ritsuka on the other hand remained completely calm. Soubi could only grit his teeth in anger while Ritsuka cracked a small grin upon taking notice of a certain absence in the park and he spoke to his capture before Soubi had time to make any threats towards the man.

"I suggest you let me go Tokino." The tall brunette looked down at the boy in his arm with an annoyed grimace.

"Or what?!" Ritsuka then simply smiled before a deep voice came growling from behind him and his capture.

"Or the girl dies…" These words sent chills down Tokino's spine and he quickly whipped around to see the tall red head standing beside them with his razor sharp claws pressed firmly against his Sacrifice's neck.

"Let her go!"

"You first." The brunette was quickly beginning to panic and looked back and forth between Ritsuka and his captured Sacrifice, trying desperately to decide what to do. The pink haired girl then attempted to get through to him.

"Tokino don't do it! We have to take him back with us or you know what will happen. Besides, they won't kill me; Ritsuka doesn't allow for blood shed, he never has." Ritsuka then replied to the girl.

"You're right, I don't let Soubi hurt anyone…but Kougaiji isn't my Sentouki, no telling what he could do." The demon gave a wicked grin at this as he pressed his claws down upon the girls soft skin, drawing blood as he did.

"Now you have a choice: you can either leave without Ritsuka and with your partner or you can go with her in body bag. Your choice." This was all finally too much for Tokino and he promptly dropped Ritsuka to his knees on the grass. Once Ritsuka was released, Kougaiji released his grip on the girl and her Sentouki quickly rushed over to her.

"Mikado, are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine…I can't say we are going to stay that way when we go back though."

"I don't care about that, I just want you to be safe…"

"I know. Let's get out of here."

"OK."

The defeated duo then took their leave without another word and as soon as they were out of sight, Kougaiji rushed over to Ritsuka and picked him up off the ground to hold him in his arms bridal style. The red head then began sniffing and touching the boy all over looking for any sign of injury.

"Are you hurt Ritsuka?" Ritsuka had become more than used to this kind of over protective coddling and simply allowed for the exam, giggling a few times when Kougaiji licked in certain places.

"I'm fine Kou. You can put me down now."

"Ok." Once reassured Kougaiji happily set the small boy back down onto his feet but it was only a few seconds before he was scooped up once again, this time by the tall blonde.

"Ritsuka! Are you ok?!" This time Ritsuka let out a small sigh before replying.

"I'm fine Soubi."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now put me down."

"No. I'll carry you home."

"Soubi! I said I'm fine, I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own." Before Soubi could protest however, the demon interjected into the conversation.

"You know he isn't as fragile as you make him out to be."

"Yes he is."

"No, he really isn't. I may not know much but even from what I just saw, I'd say he is a lot tougher than he looks and it's about time you started acting like it and stop coddling him. Besides…I am the demon prince Kougaiji, I picked him and I wouldn't have a weak fragile thing as my master." Soubi was none too pleased with these unwanted remarks but none the less, he did agree to a point so he gently set the small boy back down onto his feet.

"Ok…I'm sorry Ritsuka."

"It's fine Soubi, let's all just go home."

Ritsuka then began making his way out of the clearing and down the small path that led away from the park. Soubi and Kougaiji followed behind at a small distance remaining silent until they got out to the sidewalk of the street and Soubi addressed the man at his side.

"Hey…"

"What's up?"

"Look…you are right ok. I know far too well just how strong Ritsuka can be, I've seen it more times than I count. But you also have to understand that I have been with him through all of his weakest moments and I can't stand to see him suffer. But when it comes down to it…I'm selfish. I just can't live without him. I love him most as an individual but being his Sentouki…makes me my entire world, my reason for living, without him I am lost and I refuse to be in that dark place ever again." Kougaiji was rather taken aback by this sudden eruption of sensitive emotional information but never the less it made him feel somewhat strange. Not put off or awkward like he would have thought but somehow comforted or maybe even honored in a strange way.

"You know, I understand how you feel. I admit that I haven't been there for all of the ups and downs like you have and I respect that, but you have to remember that he is my master too. I would also gladly die for that boy, I don't know what I would do without him either. Bonded demons go berserk without their masters and I have no intention of letting that happen. At the same time though, you have to remember that he isn't a helpless child that needs to be locked away and protected forever. If Lirin has taught me anything in my life, it's that even though someone may seem small and fragile doesn't mean they are. Even if we love and care about them, we have to accept that they are stronger than they seem and can handle themselves."

"I know…" Kougaiji then placed a friendly hand on Soubi's shoulder with a small smile.

"But, that doesn't mean that they still don't need protecting. That's why he is lucky to have us." This finally coaxed a small smile from the blonde.

"You are right."

"I know." This caused Soubi to chuckle playfully.

"Don't get cocky now."

"Fine fine."

The now more friendly duo then picked up their pace slightly to catch up to their small master just in time to arrive in front of the home that Ritsuka and Soubi shared together. Ritsuka was the first to run up to the door and unlock it with a smile. He then waited for his partners to follow before entering their home. As soon as everyone was safely inside, Soubi made his way promptly into the kitchen before calling back to the others still at the door.

"Ritsuka!" The call sent Ritsuka dashing into the kitchen to answer, with Kougaiji right on his heels.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to clean up in here, why don't you take Kougaiji into the bedroom and find him something to sleep in and we will figure out our sleeping arrangements when you are both changed."

"Ok." The red head then interjected at this.

"Sleeping arrangement?" The blonde then turned to him with a smile.

"Yes. It's very late and in light of everything, I couldn't possibly turn you out of our home tonight."

"T-thanks…"

"You're welcome."

Ritsuka then took the demon by the hand and led him away from the kitchen with a smile, down the hall and into the bedroom. He closed the door behind them before rustling through the drawers of the dresser for his own sleeping clothes. He pulled out a pair of baby blue loose fitting pants along with a matching shirt and laid them out on the bed before turning to Kougaiji.

"Alright, let's see if we can find you something to wear. Soubi's things should fit you."

"No, it's ok really." The red head then slipped off the tattered piece of fabric that could barely be called a shirt and let it fall to the floor, leaving him only in his loose fitting beige pants. "I can just sleep in these."

"Well if you insist; but tomorrow we should really take you clothes shopping. If you are going to be stuck in our world then you need to try to fit in, at least a little bit."

"Ok."

Kougaiji then watched on as Ritsuka turned his back to him and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing the supple white skin underneath. The demon made sure to take in the sight with a grin and quickly became disappointed when he saw the boy reach for his sleep shirt that was resting on the bed. Before he could grab hold of the shirt however, Kougaiji swiftly stepped forward to wrap his muscular arms around the small boy. He then began to place delicate kisses all along the boys tender neck and collar bone. Ritsuka didn't protest one bit but instead simply let his head fall back to rest against the mans chiseled torso. The boy reveled in the moment all the way up until he felt an odd tugging sensation around his waist caused by the red head yanking his belt from its loops. The sudden movement caused Ritsuka to turn around with a confused expression.

"Kou, wh-" His words were quickly cut off however when the taller man placed a long finger gently over his lips. When he removed his finger however, Ritsuka found that he could no longer open them and he gave the man a very confused expression that made him chuckle slightly.

"Demon powers, remember?"

Ritsuka could then only watch on helplessly as the demon hoisted his small hands high above his head before using his own belt to bind them together. Kougaiji then gave a very wicked grin as he used the extra length of leather from the belt to bring the boy up to eye level to answer the boy's muffled cries and dumfounded expression.

"I think it's time for a little bonding time for me and blondie; but don't worry, it's all in good fun."

Ritsuka could do nothing but struggle against the tall man but it was to no avail as he simply lifted him up higher every time he tried to struggle free. After a short moment of useless struggling, Ritsuka finally calmed down and relaxed in the demons grip. Once Ritsuka had relaxed, Kougaiji led him to the center of the room, never letting go of the length of belt he was using as a make shift leach, so that he could crack the bedroom door just enough to call out to the blonde in the kitchen.

"Hey Soubi! Could you come here? I have something for you."

"Ok."

Kougaiji then closed the door once again before stepping backwards to be right in front of the bed, leading Ritsuka the whole way. With the silent boy right where he wanted him, Kougaiji gently pushed the boy down onto his knees making sure to keep his bound hands held high above his head. It was then only a short moment before the blonde came sauntering through the door. He stopped dead in his tracks in the door way however upon setting his eyes on a delicious sight. Soubi took a moment to truly appreciate the sight of his Sacrifice on his knees on their bedroom floor with his hands bound and held above his head, his pants now slipping seductively off of his hips and a bright blush across his cheeks. The sight was enough to send a burning sensation through his groin and he could feel himself becoming hard just by looking at the situation. The blonde then looked at the tall shirtless red head with a slightly confused expression that was clearly silently asking what was going on. The demon picked up on this easily and was happy to answer with a wicked grin.

"The way I see it…a battle well won deserves a reward; and after a great diner, I think some desert is in order." This caused the blonde to reply with a wicked grin of his own.

"I couldn't agree more."

**TBC**

 

 


End file.
